A Season of Malcontent
by katsuyo
Summary: [multichapter]Kankuro is in town on a mission and rubs Ino the wrong way from the beginning. It's okay though because the puppeteer doesn't mind a challenge! Will Kankuro get Ino or just a kunai in the back courtesy of the blonde shedevil?
1. Round one: the combatants meet

Author's Note:

Kankuro is being very, very naughty... I wouldn't expect anything less of him.

mild language and suggestions of a sexual nature are mentioned.

**I have two dedications**:

**Gymchick**: I deeply appreciate your support and efforts with "These Foolish Things."

Yes – I should have sent this one to you for beta-reading first but it would have ruined the surprise!

**Kankuro882**: I couldn't think of anyone else who would appreciate another Kankuro pairing as much as you do. I hope you like it.

**Two things **

**_Thing number 1_**: I have decided to do another story. I'm on a roll and I'm having fun.

I know there are folks who are really getting into my first fan fic: These Foolish Things.

Relax – Hinata and Kankuro's tale will be told.

I have no plans to stop "These Foolish Things". I will continue to write new chapters and update regularly.

I just want to do a tale with a slightly different format with a couple of random pairings that's guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows.

**_Thing number 2_**: I have used a slang term in this story. Rather than let folks wander around aimlessly trying to figure out the mystery of the meaning of said term… I have posted a definition for you.

**Snarky**:

ADJECTIVE: Inflected forms: **snark·i·er**, **snark·i·est**  
_Slang_ Irritable or short-tempered; irascible.

ETYMOLOGY: From dialectal _snark_, to nag, from _snark, snork_, to snore, snort, from Dutch and Low German _snorken_, of imitative origin.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Naruto. We go through this every chapter posting, people!

That fine fellow – Masashi Kishimoto does. Don't go hunting me down for cash – I have none.

Please feel free to leave a review if you wish. It's always fun to hear what you think!

Enjoy!

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**Round 1: The combatants meet**

A red-haired young man sat behind a large desk which had been slowly choked for space with clusters of reports and sighed heavily. Gaara hated the paperwork side of being the Kazekage. He knew it was a necessary evil of the job, but that didn't make it easier to deal with it on a daily basis. He had been steadily reading reports for the past 4 hours and had made a significant dent in the towering piles. However, for the past half hour, he had found his mind wandering and thinking about his brother Kankuro. Gaara had sent his brother to the Leaf Village to assist with a mission, as per a request from the Hokage.

He was beginning to miss his brother's random visits to his office. Kankuro had this habit of showing up whenever Gaara started to feel the walls close in around him. It was uncanny how he did it but the Kazekage put it down to the fact that now that he and his siblings were closer, his brother had become more in tuned to his younger brother's moods. Gaara sighed again and was about to sneak out of his office in search of something to eat when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." called out Gaara to the intruder. The Kazekage let out a silent groan… _Those delicious rice balls of Temari's were going to have to wait for a while longer. It was shame though, he could almost taste them!_

The messenger came in stammering his apologies for the intrusion, delivered the scroll that just arrived and stumbled in his haste to leave the room. Gaara gave the retreating man's back an evil smirk before he re-directed his attention back to the scroll. _Even without Shukaku, there was always one ninja that was terrified of being the bearer of bad news. _Gaara sighed wistfully at that thought. Even though he wasn't the demon-freak he used to be, some people still had difficulty letting go of the past. Oh well – it was their problem, not his. The Kazekage gave an elegant shrug and opened the scroll.

_Dear Gaara,_

_I have arrived safely at the Leaf Village. The Hokage has assigned me to Team Asuma for the duration of my visit and eminent mission. That lazy-ass nin Shikamaru was asking questions about Temari. I really don't want him sniffing around my sister's iron fan or any part of her for that matter but our sister seems rather taken by the shadow wielder. I can't figure it out myself but that's women for you! Speaking of women - that she-dragon of a team-mate of his gave me the blackest look when I suggested to Shikamaru that he needs to find his manhood and ask my sister for a date rather than pester me for information._

Gaara chuckled to himself at that comment. He couldn't recall the woman's name off-hand but he remembered Naruto making some off-color comment last time he was in town about that one. The sand wielder frowned slightly trying to recall what it was Fox-boy had said about her. The youthful Kazekage pondered the door for a moment, and then he smiled – a very naughty little smile. _Oh yes – something about the woman being the biggest shrew since Tsunade herself. _Gaara frowned again… no, that wasn't quite it.

He brightened up when the memory popped to the forefront. _Ahh - yes. Something along the lines of "If that harpy kept her mouth shut occasionally, she might actually get a man…"_ He had gotten the impression by the comment that apart from that unfortunate problem, the woman was reasonably attractive. Gaara recalled asking him if she was someone he needed to avoid like the plague. Naruto had sniggered at his comment and had crudely replied, "No – she's comely enough… I'd do her in a heartbeat if I wasn't with Hinata." The blonde ninja then continued, "She just doesn't know when to keep that fat trap of hers shut."

Gaara scoffed at the thought of Naruto ever betraying Hinata. He knew his friend worshipped the ground that the silver-eyed Clan-leader walked on. Goodness knows – it took the man _long enough_ to figure that out. Naruto wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. If he was honest with himself, he was a little jealous of Naruto's luck at finding someone who loved him, despite the fact that he still had a Bij­u inside him. The Kazekage frowned slightly at the thought. There were plenty of women who were interested in him, that wasn't the problem. There just wasn't _one_ that stood out from the rest that made him yearn to settle down.

Gaara sighed sadly – there was no point dwelling on it. If _she_ was out there – just waiting for him, he would find her soon enough. He looked down and redirected his thoughts to the missive in his hand.

_I am settled in at the inn and plan on going to some Korean Bar-B-Cue place tonight for dinner. Asuma is paying for it, so I guess I can't refuse outright. I will send another message towards the end of the week. Give my love to Temari._

_Kankuro_

_P.S. – ran into that pink-haired medical nin outside the Hokage's office. I think her name was Sakura… not sure. Anyway, she asked about you and wanted me to let you know that she said hello._

Gaara stared stunned at that little post script. _What the hell!_ He knew _exactly_ who Kankuro was talking about but he thought she was still hung up on that Uchiha guy.

_Well, well, well... _ The Kazekage put down the scroll and steeple his fingers, deep in thought.

----------------

Kankuro was trying to tune out the fishwife next to him but it was difficult. She'd been very snarky ever since he'd made that comment to Shikamaru earlier regarding his sister. He frowned over at the still fuming blonde. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was jealous as hell. He sighed testily at the incessant noise of the woman spitting fire and brimstone at him. He was getting pissed with her theatrics and stood still, effectively halting her tirade in mid-sentence. Shikamaru and Choji continued walking – not aware of the two staring daggers at each other in the middle of the street. They had been dealing with the shrew for years… they had plenty of practice filtering her out.

"What's your problem!" hissed the irate blonde.

"You." replied the brooding puppeteer succinctly.

Ino stood gaping like a big river trout, at the shinobi in the kabuki makeup.

"If you're so green with jealousy over your team-mate's obsession with my sister, you need to do something about it." Ground out Kankuro through clenched teeth.

Ino's jaw snapped audibly together. No one was _ever_ this rude to her face before. The thought never entered her head that no man was game enough to talk back to her because they were terrified of her verbal wrath.

"How dare you!" screeched the shrewish woman. The sand shinobi shrugged carelessly at this comment. He'd obviously hit a raw nerve and couldn't resist putting the barb in deeper. _Hell… that inner imp was egging him on now - he may as well do his worst._

"Or… maybe the real problem is that you have told him how you feel about him and he doesn't return your feelings…" drawled Kankuro in a soft dangerous voice.

Ino flushed scarlet and stalked off after her team-mates.

_Bingo!_

The puppeteer strolled after the blonde at a more leisurely pace. He felt an evil little smile play along his lips. He was going to enjoy hanging around this team. Ino was _much_ easier to rile than his sister!

------------------------

The woman in question was spitting mad. _How dare that cat-hooded creep talk back to her like that! And what was it with the kabuki makeup, anyway?_

Ino refused to admit to herself that the infuriating man had found her Achilles' heel and drawn first blood. She was upset that he had figured it out so quickly. It hurt her that Shikamaru was so hung up on that witch with the giant fan. She quite frankly didn't see the attraction. Ino pouted at the thought. _She was much prettier than that one._

The blonde was too oblivious to see that Shikamaru preferred his women less needy and a lot less noisy than his team-mate.

The kuniochi wanted to lash out at the puppeteer and leave a mark on that hateful smirking face of his. She felt a tell-tale spot of moisture drop onto her shirt and stopped abruptly. Ino brought her hand up to her face in mild surprise. When her fingertips came away wet, she realized that Kankuro's cutting observation hurt more than she cared to admit, even to herself.

Ino took a deep breath and tried to calm down. The man definitely knew how to get under her skin.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that…

------------------------

Shikamaru and Choji were lazily meandering their way through the streets, when Choji stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" asked the lazy nin, "You out of snacks again?"

The normally garrulous shinobi looked around, clearly perplexed.

"No – it's not that… I have plenty of those still." replied Choji. He absently waved the full potato chip bag he held in one hand.

Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pocket and gave his friend a frustrated look. The chubby ninja sighed to himself. _For a genius, he could be awfully dim sometimes._

"I don't hear Ino's screeching anymore…" The shadow wielder raised one of his eyebrows and frowned slightly at his best friend's comment. Come to think about it - it had been a while since he heard the distinctive tones of their shrewish team-mate.

Shikamaru looked down the road, deep in contemplation. The last thing he remembered was Ino walking down the road behind them, attempting to tear verbal strips off the sand shinobi. The shadow wielder smiled wryly at the image. He was partly to blame for Ino's backlash. The puppeteer was right – he should suck it up and ask his sister for a date. Shikamaru knew Ino was insanely jealous at the prospect of him seeing Temari but he saw no reason in letting her fool herself into thinking there was a romantic future between the two of them.

Shikamaru couldn't deny that he found a lot of things about Temari very attractive, whereas Ino… well, Ino reminded him of his mother. He shuddered. _What a horrible image!_

Ino was wasting her time trying to rattle _that_ one though. Kankuro seemed impervious to her shenanigans. Shikamaru imagined that the sand shinobi had plenty of practice dealing with his sister's tirades. He thought about it for a moment… he couldn't picture that kind of thing being a regular occurrence with Temari somehow. She seemed a lot more emotionally balanced than Ino. "_Women are so troublesome!" _ Shikamaru thought to himself.

He felt his friend's eyes study him quietly and knew Choji was still waiting to hear what plan of action they should take. The chubby shinobi cared too much about other people – even that fishwife of a team-mate. Shikamaru would have suggested to his friend a long time ago to ask her out on a date but knew Ino would have eaten the gentle soul alive.

Choji was way too nice to take her to task and that woman needed a firm hand to keep her in line.

"Don't worry, Choji. They will catch up with us at the restaurant." replied Shikamaru.

Choji studied his colleague in silence and mentally gave a sigh. His friend was right as per usual – Ino wouldn't miss out on an opportunity to dine out. She always enjoyed the tantalizing prospect of picking up some new gossip or juicy tidbits to tell her friends.

_No – Shikamaru is right. Ino will be fine. I'm worrying about nothing again._

The chubby ninja shrugged in response and the two men continued on their journey.

---------------------

Kankuro watched the blonde kuniochi stalk off in an effort to put as much distance between the two of them as she could. He wasn't proud of himself for cutting that close to the quick but he didn't like to see her deluding herself. She certainly wasn't kidding him with that ludicrous notion of hers that there could be any sort of relationship with her and shadow freak.

He didn't like the idea of Shikamaru dating his sister either but he knew that Temari could do a lot worse than the shadow wielder. Kankuro shook his head from side to side sadly. Ino needed a firm hand… preferably one on her backside on a regular basis.

The sand shinobi had a wolfish grin on his face at the thought. _She really did have a fine rear though._ He couldn't fail to notice it as she stalked away from him in all her enraged glory.

_It was so high and firm!_ Kankuro was now sporting a decidedly evil grin on his face. He knew he was being a pervert but he didn't care. As long as he didn't act on those thoughts, he was fine.

The puppeteer sighed wistfully. He really admired her feistiness… there was nothing wrong with a woman displaying a little spunk from time to time. It certainly made the relationship more interesting… that's for sure.

It was just such a shame that she had a screech like a banshee.

Kankuro caught himself whistling a jaunty tune under his breath as he followed in the blonde bombshell's wake.

------------------------

Asuma was already seated at a table with Shikamaru and Choji when he caught sight of Ino stalking into the restaurant. It was obvious she was mad as hell about something. The Jonin turned to the two men and raised an eyebrow in question. Choji shrugged in answer and the shadow wielder raised one hand and danced it above the table in a fluid gesture.

_Ahhh – she was mad with the puppet master!_ Asuma gave a sideways glance in Shikamaru's direction and caught him grinning as well. They found the blonde kuniochi's foul mood rather amusing but they quickly hid it when she flounced onto a cushion at the low table.

Ino swept the table with her black looks, daring the men to _just _ask her what was wrong.

The men were no dummies – they knew that glare all too well. Asuma gave a cursory glance in Shikamaru's direction again and saw that he was looking at a figure casually strolling in through the door. Asuma had to give the sand shinobi credit. The man had to have brass ones to willingly take on their volatile vixen and walk away relatively unscathed.

Shikamaru watched his blonde team-mate openly bristle when Kankuro plopped down beside her. He quickly swallowed his grin before he got thumped by Ino. The shadow wielder couldn't deny that he didn't find her discomfort exceedingly entertaining. It appeared that Kankuro wasn't planning to deprive his captive audience by cutting the young woman any slack. The sand shinobi shot Shikamaru a particularly evil little grin before he turned to the young woman beside him. The shadow wielder had a feeling that he was about to witness the human version of a car wreck but there was no way he was going to turn away now. The puppeteer was clearly about to do something very, very bad… and he didn't disappoint Shikamaru.

He watched the man turn to his team-mate, swing up one her hands to his lips and murmur, "Ino, I was a real bastard to you just before… can you forgive me?"

Shikamaru watched the blonde kuniochi go rigid in shock then scarlet from head to toe when Kankuro dealt the coupe de grace and kissed the top of her hand.

Choji dropped his chips on the table in shock but nobody noticed… They were all holding their breaths to see what Ino would do next… Shikamaru was trying to figure if she was mad, excited, flattered by the attention or all three. Asuma was pretty impressed with the man's boldness. Choji was still shocked… no one had that big of a death wish to willingly want to kiss Ino – even if it was on the hand.

Ino didn't disappoint anyone with her reaction… in fact, she was magnificent. Kankuro saw the tiny flash of anger in her blue eyes before he felt the sting of her palm against his lean cheek. All activity in the restaurant halted momentarily as the sound of the slap reverberated throughout the establishment. The blonde kuniochi leaned in closer to the sand shinobi. Ino then snarled at him before she pushed herself up off the cushion and left the table in a huff.

The group still at the table watched in silence as the woman flounced over to the door and stalked out into the street.

The remaining team members felt their jaws drop when the puppeteer nonchalantly picked up his menu and shrugged. "I guess the answer is no, huh?" murmured Kankuro.


	2. Round two: Hell have no fury

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. It's sad but true. Don't hound me for cash – I have none.

I need to go work on the next chapter… enjoy my pretties. If you wish to leave a review, that's great. I'm always interested in hearing your opinion.

**Author's note **

This is the second chapter.

Kankuro is being very, very naughty but Ino has an axe to grind with the big, bad puppeteer.

Occasional bad language and suggestions of sexual nature are mentioned.

If the thought of this makes your eyeballs fall out – turn away now…

So, that first chapter…

Wow - you like it, you _really _like it…

I would like to give big time thanks to those folks who have left reviews. It's wonderful to hear what you think.

I'm glad to see you guys have some definite opinions on the story. I'm impressed.

**Kankuro882, blackrosevirus and minoki:** glad you like it so far… I will try to keep it as interesting as possible.

**Somnus**: Thanks for keeping me honest! Yes, this is indeed Kankuro and Ino's story and shall remain so – no need to fear on that score.

The other characters are on their own to find dates.

**Flower Meanings**:

Orchid – Love, Beauty, Refinement, Beautiful lady, Chinese symbol for many children.

Tulip (variegated) – Beautiful eyes

(courtesy of 1-800 florals website)

**Round Two: Hell have no fury…**

_One week later_

Ino cursed under her breath. In her hands were the remains of what used to be a beautiful and very fragile orchid. The blonde kuniochi sighed and scanned the shop for a place to stash her new victim. Her parents would be pissed at her if they found out that she had mangled a small fortune in flowers this week. Well – they would be _more _upset about the orchids… they were hard to get this time of the year. It was a good thing that she had only destroyed just two so far.

She spied a suitable location to bury the remains and sighed despondently. Ino knew what or rather _who_ was behind her mass floral homicide.

_Damn that man!_

Ino stalked back behind the counter and stared broodingly out the store window. She was still mad at the puppeteer. The blonde kuniochi had been keeping a low profile since _the_ incident in the restaurant but she knew that's all everyone had been talking about this week… _that kiss!_

Ino tolerated the more curious of the gossip mongers who had drifted into the shop, only because she sold more flowers.

If she was truly honest about it, the reason she wanted to inflict intense pain on the sand shinobi was because she was affected by him.

Ino refused to acknowledge out loud, least of all to herself that the touch of Kankuro's lips on her hand had sent little shocks up and down her spine.

It was _so_ unexpected and _so_ unfair! _Why should she feel an attraction to **him**__ of all men?_

Ino sighed again and reached out for another orchid but then stopped. She looked down at her hand and groaned. Her hand was trembling from all these pent up emotions she was feeling. _How could she let that freak get under her skin like that?_

She rested the offending limb on the work table and took a deep breath to try to calm her turbulent emotions. Ino heard the bell on the shop door tinkle and she braced herself for yet another onslaught of folks _just dying_ to find out if the rumors were true about her and the sand nin. The blonde kuniochi looked up, bracing for the inquisition, only to find herself staring into the eyes of her tormentor.

"_Speak of the devil and he appears… What the hell is he doing here!" _fumed Ino privately.

"So - this is where you hide yourself." remarked Kankuro. She shot him a killing look but that didn't seem to stop him. She watched in silence as the puppeteer slowly stalked around the room, casually checking out various arrangements displayed throughout the store.

Ino saw him bend down and pluck something out. It had been trapped under one of the heavy pots. She groaned heavily when she saw what it was. Kankuro had a piece of mutilated orchid petal held carefully between two long elegant fingers. She felt herself swallow convulsively when she studied those digits and quickly brought her eyes back up to the sand nin's smirking face. He was stroking the damaged petal slowly, sliding his fingertips over it. Ino felt like she was burning up and just knew she was blushing. The action looked strangely seductive and she was starting to have prurient thoughts of _those_ fingertips sliding on _her_ flesh. Kankuro raised an eyebrow and lazily waved the orchid shard in the air. "What did this poor thing do to you to warrant such abuse?" asked the man.

Ino could feel herself struggling with the urge to launch herself over the counter and scratch the hateful pig's eyes out with her nails. _Damn it, she wasn't going to demean herself and react to him! Why can't he find someone else to torment while he was in town… why the hell did it have to be **her**?_

The puppeteer was laughing at her inner turmoil! She could see his lips twitch slightly and that amused tilt to his smile.

"Can I help you?" the blonde bit out frostily.

Kankuro felt himself wanting to grin like a mad idiot. She wasn't as unaffected by his presence as she was trying _so hard_ to have him believe.

He knew this was probably a bad idea to come down here and see her, but truth be told – he couldn't get her out of his mind. Kankuro had felt the little tremors when he kissed her hand. _Hell, he had felt it too!_

When she had slapped his face with all the emotion she had pent up inside her, he had been tempted to laugh out loud. He was glad he refrained from doing that – she was already mad at him and that would have sent her over the edge.

The puppeteer couldn't help but admire her exit from the restaurant. _She had been magnificent! All fire and smoldering energy!_ _It was such a shame that she was wasting all that passion on anger. _Kankuro sighed wistfully. _He could think of **much** better ways to use up all that pent up passion of hers!_

He thought at the time it was best to let her cool off but to see her glaring daggers at him now, Kankuro realized that he had made a serious error in judgment. He grinned evilly and decided then and there that Ino had way too much time to think.

The sand nin prowled over to the counter and leaned towards the young woman. _Two could play this game!_

"Yes, actually you can… I wish to buy flowers for a special someone." Kankuro nonchalantly replied.

Ino swallowed her shock. _Wow, the man certainly didn't waste anytime in finding someone else to annoy with his presence._ "This special someone – are they male or female?" She asked, trying to remain professional.

"Most definitely female." responded Kankuro with a wolfish grin on his face.

He could tell that she was less than delighted by the idea of him purchasing flowers for a special_ female _someone. Ino stared pointedly at the orchid petal clinging lovingly to his fingertips. "Orchids, perhaps?"

The puppeteer gave the vivacious blonde behind the counter a look of consideration before asking. "No, I think not. It's too early in the relationship to give her those." Ino gave Kankuro a frustrated glare. _Relationship? What the hell? _

"Do you have a particular flower in mind?" asked the fuming blonde through gritted teeth.

"Yes. I want those." replied the sand shinobi.

Ino turned around to face the direction the infuriating man was pointing. "Those" turned out to be a bucket filled with different varieties of tulips. She frowned slightly at the odd choice and shrugged away a stray thought. _There was no way in hell this jerk could possibly know that flowers have meanings, could he?_

This was torture – Ino just wanted him out of her sight. "Any particular type?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Kankuro swallowed his grin but it was difficult. _She's hoping that I hurry up and get the hell away from her. _This was going better than he was hoping…

"Yes – give me a bunch of the variegated tulips and wrap it in the… purple tissue paper." replied the puppeteer. 

_Purple was her favorite color! What an ass!_

It was like waving a red flag in front of her eyes. Ino turned away and concentrated on getting the tulips for the insufferable man.

_Just because she wanted to tear strips off the bastard didn't mean she was going to take it out on the flowers…_

She swallowed her anger and finishing wrapping up the flowers. Ino shoved the tulips into his hands, almost snarling the amount he owed her. Kankuro was now fighting the urge to laugh out loud in delight. _If he didn't know better – he'd say she was jealous._

He quietly handed over the correct amount and watched her turn away from him.

As much as he enjoyed this, Kankuro knew the poor woman was at the end of her patience with him. The puppeteer took advantage of her distraction and walked over to the exit.

Ino turned around abruptly when she heard the tinkle of the door closing. She was relieved that he finally decided to leave her be.

The blonde kuniochi slumped forward on the counter, her hands covering her face… only to be assailed with the scent of… tulips?

She opened her eyes and there _were_ tulips sitting there. _Surely there was some mistake?_

Ino rushed over to the window in time to see Kankuro swaggering down the road.

The normally shrewish female walked back to the counter and picked up the discarded bouquet, inhaling their sweet perfume. She felt a blush stain her cheeks and shy smile dance on her lips.

_He thinks I have beautiful eyes…_

"I'm not going to forgive him just because the insufferable bastard gave me flowers." harrumphed Ino under her breath. She had to admit though, that the puppeteer was off to a good start…

-------------------------

The tormentor in question was whistling a jaunty tune under his breath as he strolled through the village. _Yes – that had been rather enjoyable! _Kankuro couldn't deny that he was having fun at the young woman's expense. Hell – he couldn't help himself. He found himself being drawn to her like the proverbial moth to the flame. _Ahhh – what a flame though…_

The sand shinobi sighed wistfully. _When she wasn't screaming or frowning, she really was quite breathtaking…_

A part of him was regretting not taking advantage of her shock and kissing those parted lips of hers. He had to admit that he had been seriously tempted to risk a clawing just to sample the delights of her kisses.

It was a shame that the moment disappeared as soon as she realized who had entered the flower shop.

No – it was probably for the best that he didn't act on that impulse. It was obvious she still hadn't forgiven him for the little incident at the Bar-B-Cue place.

Kankuro wasn't surprised to hear from Asuma that Ino wouldn't be training with them this week. The blonde kuniochi had sent word to the sensei that her father was out of town on a mission and she needed to help out in the family shop. Kankuro was smart enough to realize that it was only part of the reason for her absence.

He was just disappointed in the fact that she chose to run to the nearest bolt-hole and attempt to wait it out. _I would never have picked her for being one to be scared off so easily._

The sand shinobi stopped in the middle of the street and gazed down at the ground, deep in thought.

Yes – it had been relatively easy to get the desired information from Shikamaru about the exact location of that particular safe haven of hers. Hell – he wasn't particularly proud of himself for using a little emotional blackmail on the shadow wielder to get the information he sought but desperate times called for desperate measures. Kankuro grinned evilly at the memory of that particular exchange. Temari was _so_ going to beat the snot out of him but that was fine. The bruises always healed up. The important thing was that he achieved his goal.

The puppeteer was feeling intensely guilty over his part in Ino's public embarrassment and felt compelled to try and make amends.

_Well – that had been the **original** intention - then he saw her hackles go up… _Kankuro sighed. He didn't know what it was about her that made him _just_ itch push her buttons… he just knew that he couldn't get enough of it. _Yeah, that made him a sick bastard for wanting to torment her but at least he was honest about it!_

The puppeteer had a sudden thought which caused him to grin wolfishly before he continued walking down the road.

He probably should have stopped at the flowers….

-----------------

Ino stroked the tulips with a light touch and sighed wistfully. It wasn't often that she got flowers from men she knew – much less a virtual stranger. Most men were too terrified to approach her and those that weren't, assumed that she wouldn't like getting flowers because her family owned a florist shop. The tulips really did sum up the giver of the bouquet, right down the odd stripe variation on the petals. _She should really put these in water…_

Ino gazed up at the wall clock and smiled gratefully. It was almost time to close the shop for the day. She wasn't normally a clock watcher but Ino was secretly relieved because her mind wasn't really focused on her work. The blonde had caught herself dwelling on the sand shinobi's visit for the remainder of the day. _That man really knew how to bury deep under her skin though…_

She wasn't too sure if she enjoyed having her inner thoughts exposed so expertly before his eyes like that. It made her feel oddly vulnerable, even a little scared of letting him get too close to her.

She looked up at the clock again and was relieved that she could finally close the shop for the day.

Ino locked the front door and pushed the closed sign into place. _The sooner she could finish up – the better off she would be. She just wanted to take the flowers back to her apartment and spend the rest of the evening admiring them._

All she had left to do was start the daily receipts running and put the cash register tray in the safe for her mother to tally this evening. It really didn't take long to finish up.

Ino was grateful for small favors as she finally whisked up the tulips and made for the door.

-----------------------------------

The blonde kuniochi was relieved by the fact that her apartment wasn't that far to walk to from the flower shop. She looked down at the delicate blooms and noticed that the tulips were starting to droop.

Ino managed to open the door to her apartment and carefully put the bouquet onto the table without crushing them. She walked over to the door and closed it before she went into the kitchen in search for a vase.

Ino brought the filled vase over to the table and carefully removed the delicate purple paper off the tulip stems. It was then that she first noticed the white envelope tucked discreetly inside the paper. Ino frowned slightly at that discovery. She didn't remember putting in a card… Kankuro must have slipped it in when she was distracted.

The blonde put the envelope to one side and concentrated on arranging the blooms into the vase. _They really were quite beautiful. _

After she cleared away the paper and stem trimmings, Ino sat down at the table admiring the tulips. A small rectangle of white on the table caught her eye and that's when the kuniochi remembered the envelope she fished out of the bouquet earlier.

She turned it over in her hands, a little perplexed by what was in it then sighed. _It would probably be best to go into the living room and get comfortable first._

Ino was sitting on her love seat when she finally got a chance to satisfy her curiosity and slit open the envelope.

It was a good thing that she was sitting down to peruse the contents of the envelope…

Ino felt her face scorch scarlet and her eyes bulge as she tried to comprehend everything the puppeteer wrote in the note. _What the hell! _

She didn't know if she wanted to do extreme violence on the man's person or _something else_.

Ino was having a hard time fighting the urge to hunt him down and bury her sharpest kunai in the bastard's dark heart or to explore the naughty possibilities mentioned in the missive…

_He really did confuse the hell out of her!_


	3. Round three: Promises, promises

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. That's just the way it is, people.

Leave me in peace already to write the next chapter.

Please feel free to review – it's always nice to hear what you folks think…

**Author's note:**

This is the third installment for you little fiends to devour.

Chapter three contains a spoiler from the Rescue Gaara Arc in Naruto II.

Also – any sentence falling between brackets that look like this ( ) – is denoting inner thoughts of an individual… for the purposes of this story – Gaara in particular.

Kankuro is on his best behavior for once… but that's always subject to change.

**Chapter 2:**

Wow – you people need to get some intervention. (grinning)

I didn't have this baby posted for too long before I started receiving reviews.

Thanks to the brave souls who have reviewed the story so far…

**Ukiyo-e:** I'm glad you enjoy it. I will do my best to keep the action hopping. They are a very fun pairing to do. It's been a real delight messing with them!

**Agent-doo, Foamy The Squirrell:** Yep… we all want to know what he wrote. All I can say is that it's a safe bet that it wasn't a tame apology letter. The good news is that the contents of said note will be revealed in time!

**CrazyHormoneGurls:** It's a good question. I don't think Ino really has any control on what's happening to her. She's at Kankuro's mercy. Mwoahahahahaha!

It could be worse – Ino could have Rock Lee chasing after her…

**Blackrosevirus:** Totally kawaii, huh? (grinning) I'm glad you enjoyed the new chapter. I thought the flowers were a nice touch too.

**Flower Meanings:**

Rose thornless – Love at first sight.

Purple Rose – fallen in love at first sight.

Sterling roses are light purple or lilac in color…

(courtesy of 1-800 florals website)

Here is chapter three for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

**Round three: Promises, promises…**

_The next day…_

Ninja personnel scrambled to get out of the way of the scowling figure stalking up the hallway. The normally bubbly receptionist watched the approaching man and blanched, quickly scurrying to the safety of the filing room.

It was a rarity to see this side of the Kazekage but when it did rear its ugly head – it usually meant that there was a major problem somewhere in the village that required immediate attention.

Gaara gave the messenger hovering by his door a cursory scowl before he gestured for the terrified man to follow him into his office.

He sat down at his table and held out his hand for the scroll the poor ninja had clutched in his trembling hand. The kazekage growled at the man to wait outside. The frightened man couldn't get out of the room fast enough.

Gaara sighed. He silently cursed his foul mood but it couldn't be helped. The hospital was in dire need of a couple of additional Medic nins – at least until some of the teams came back from their missions.

There was a current shortage at present due to a nasty virus doing the rounds. The Kazekage scoffed at this. _He thought Medic nins were made of stronger stuff!_

The sand wielder sighed sadly and reached across the battered desk for a blank scroll.

His hand brushed the scroll that had just arrived. _He should really read the delivered message from the leaf village **before** he submitted a request of his own._

Gaara snapped open the seal and released the breath he'd been holding in relief. He recognized his brother's chicken scratch anywhere… It was only Kankuro's weekly report – he could read it after he sent off this message to the Hokage.

The surly red-headed one barked out a command for the messenger to come back in and the relieved ninja set off for the leaf village. Gaara bowed his head slightly and rubbed his tired eyes with his hands. _He was exhausted. _He'd been over at the hospital since early this morning trying to determine what they needed from their allies in terms of assistance.

He didn't see why Tsunade wouldn't honor his proposition. She still had his brother at her beck and call for this mystery mission of hers. Gaara raised his head and glanced over at the scroll. He couldn't help but give a little smile trying to imagine what chaos his brother had wreaked in the space of a week. The sand wielder picked up the scroll and started to read…

_Gaara,_

_Sheesh – I haven't done anything wrong… no need to yell at me. The young woman's virtue is still intact… so far. _(Gaara groaned at this… trust his brother to make a lame ass joke. It wasn't funny to joke about stuff like that, Kankuro!)

_I have made amends to Ino. I bought her flowers in way of apology… _(He raised his non-existent eyebrow at that one)

_In response to your question, O Mighty Kazekage…_ ( respectful as always, eh brother?)

_I have no idea when we will be heading out on this mission. The Hokage wants us to meet with her in two days to discuss the details. _(typical Tsunade)

_Yes, Yes – I will fill you in then. _(excellent)

_Give my love to Temari… if she receives a package from Shikamaru – I don't know anything about it. _(The Kazekage groaned… he could tell by that comment that Kankuro had been up to no good again.)

_Kankuro_

_PS – I casually mentioned to the Hokage yesterday that you having some minor staffing issues over at the hospital and you were planning to send a request for help soon. She's going to send a team of four medic nins with an escort. They should leave here tomorrow morning. I thought you would be interested to know that the pink haired one has volunteered to go…_

_PPS – Don't come crying to me if you screw things up with Sakura… I have my own problems._

He wasn't surprised that Kankuro had already been on the ball and sped up the request on his behalf. His older sibling didn't like to see the sand village suffer anymore than he did – especially if they could prevent such a thing happening. _Goodness knows – the place went through enough of that under their father's rule._

It was a relief to know that the reinforcements were already on their way.

Gaara shook his head slightly and a small wry smile ghosted on his lips briefly. He could feel his good humor slowly returning.

He was beginning to think his brother was a little touched in the head though. This matchmaking of his involving Temari was going to get him killed or at least land him in the hospital for an extended visit. Not to mention _that_ other issue regarding Shikamaru's team-mate…

Gaara really didn't know what game his sibling was playing with the shrewish blonde. The problem was - Kankuro could never resist a challenge and that was it in a nutshell. The Kazekage gave a deep heartfelt sigh at that thought and then suddenly gave a sly little smile. _He had a feeling though, that his cat hood- wearing older brother had met his match this time around!_

------------------------------

Ino sat down at one of the tables on the patio outside of the coffee shop, waiting for Sakura. The medic nin was leaving tomorrow morning for a mission in the sand village and the blonde kuniochi was already going to miss her.

She knew she was being unfair - her friend needed to go and help out… it just wasn't an option for Sakura to sit by and do nothing.

_Gaaahhh! She really didn't know who else apart from Forehead Girl that she could candidly talk to about Kankuro._

Ino cradled her head in her hands and sighed softly. She didn't get a wink of sleep last night and it had been all that sand nin's fault!

_How could I be even remotely attracted to a man who prefers to hide his features under kabuki makeup and a cat hood? He's probably horribly disfigured and doesn't want anyone to see the scars._

The blonde felt her skin flush scarlet over _why _she couldn't sleep… Her dreams had been filled with images conjured up by _that_ little note of his.

_Gahhh! The man was a pervert! _

Ino shook her head slightly. It was weird… even when she and Sakura had been crushing big time on Sasuke – she'd never felt this emotionally charged as she did around the puppeteer.

_Arrgh… The audacity of the bastard. Who the hell does he think he is?_

A little voice from deep inside calmly answered the question for her.

_Apart from being the brother of the Kazekage - he's a man who knows what he wants in life and isn't afraid to go after it. _

_You're just running scared because what he wants is you and he's not going to take no for an answer._

Ino slumped onto her hands again in resignation. That voice was _so_ right. She was scared of losing her heart to a man like him. She'd never known anyone like Kankuro – who was so determined to storm the walls she erected around her heart. She also couldn't deny that there was a definite mutual attraction between them either.

The young woman was so deeply in thought that she jumped slightly when she felt a small hand on her shoulder. Ino looked up startled into the concerned eyes of her pink-haired friend. To the blonde's horror, she felt her eyes fill up with tears and she shook her head slightly from side to side.

Sakura was worried about her friend. She had never seen Ino like this before. _Whatever that was going on in her life was obviously turning her inside out emotionally._

The medic nin sat down at the table and held her best friend's hand. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

Ino nodded in response to that gently spoken question. _Yes – surprisingly… she did want to talk about the puppeteer to her dearest friend._

"I-I'm so confused. I don't know what I should do…" started the blonde.

"What's confusing you?" asked Sakura gently.

"Not what, Sakura… more like a _who_." replied Ino sadly.

The medic nin was shocked to see her friend tied up in knots about a man… it was a novel first for her. Men were usually tied up in knots for the blonde.

Ino could see her companion was puzzled by how this all happened, so she hesitantly filled Sakura in on the details.

The pink-haired ninja's eyes softened when Ino related what happened yesterday at the flower shop and fished out a familiar white envelope from her bag. The blonde blushed profusely as she watched her friend quietly read the contents of the note and wistfully hand it back.

"Would it be such a bad thing to be attracted to a man like him?" asked Sakura.

"I don't even know what he looks like under that disguise of his." wailed the blonde.

"Does it really matter what he looks like? I get the impression that so far, the kabuki make-up hasn't been a deterrent in terms of your attraction to the man." replied the pink-haired woman.

"No – it hasn't… if anything, it kinda adds to the mystery of the man himself." admitted Ino.

She sighed and was about to cover her face again when Sakura gently took hold of one of her hands and squeezed gently.

"Relax, Ino. I think it's sweet that here's the one man out there who isn't scared to face you and openly declare his intentions." replied Sakura and asked, "Ino, what are you _really_ worried about?"

The blonde's eyes filled up with tears again. "I'm scared that he may break my heart." murmured Ino sadly to her friend.

Sakura's response to that made the young woman stop crying and gave the blonde some serious food for thought.

"Ahh, Ino – I don't think you have anything to worry about on that score. The last thing Kankuro would ever want to do to you is break your heart because that would only cause his heart to break more…"

Ino couldn't help but ask, "How do you know that, Sakura?"

Sakura related to her friend the incident outside the Hokage's office. Ino was surprised that Kankuro had gone to that much effort to garner an audience with Tsunade to petition for medic nins to be sent to his brother, the Kazekage - on the strength of a couple of personal missives he received during the week from Gaara.

The pink-haired medic nin blushed softly and replied, "Besides - I've had a chance to really talk to him and deep down, he's a very caring man." and then Sakura softly added, "I remember when Gaara had been taken by the Akatsuki. Kankuro had chased after them by himself and almost died trying to get him back. He begged Naruto to bring back his brother from his hospital bed."

Sakura pinned her colleague with her green eyes. "Ino, having a man who's willing to protect everything you hold dear with his dying breath isn't a bad thing."

"If anything, Ino - I'm rather envious that you have that kind of man chasing after you." concluded the pink-haired medic sadly.

Sakura looked immensely relieved when the waitress finally came over and took their orders.

Ino glanced over at her friend and smiled. The blonde secretly felt terrible – when you viewed it from that angle, Kankuro was a rare catch.

_Sakura was right… she shouldn't complain when it was obvious her friend would dearly love a man in her life who shared the puppeteer's attributes._

Her pink-haired companion was very insightful indeed.

------------------------------------

Kankuro had somehow made it back to his room at the inn. The sand nin couldn't recall _exactly_ how he managed to find his way back. He knew that he should probably have a shower and clean up from training but his mind and emotions were all churned up over that conversation.

He felt awful for eavesdropping but truth be told, he'd felt gutted when he caught sight of Ino looking so defeated at that coffee shop. He couldn't help thinking at the time that he was solely responsible for putting her in that state.

Kankuro had been contemplating his next move when he saw a familiar pink-haired medical nin weaving her way over to the table.

It had been relatively easy to secure a seat nearby where he wouldn't be seen and he could listen in without the two young women being aware of his presence.

It had been a very enlightening discussion and the puppeteer couldn't help but feel intensely moved by Sakura's passionate defense of him. He never realized that she had been able to see that deeply under the layers and had caught a rare glimpse of that part of him he kept hidden from everyone else except his family.

Kankuro smiled wryly to himself. He didn't know how he felt knowing that a woman had summed him up so neatly like that. Sakura had been spot on about everything she said to Ino…

It had taken a week of not seeing Ino to realize that for him, this wasn't a mere infatuation. What he felt for the blonde _definitely_ went a lot deeper emotionally than what one would feel for a crush.

He was pretty surprised just how much Sakura got Ino to admit about _her_ feelings for _him_. Now he knew how she felt – there was no way he was going to walk away from her without a fight.

He knew that he had his work cut out for him, trying to win over Ino but it was a risk he was willing to take.

Kankuro could now see why Gaara had held a secret torch for the pink-haired beauty for so long.

_She certainly was a rare woman. _

_He just hoped that his brother was smart enough to seize the opportunity given to him and take a chance…_

----------------------------

Sakura and Ino had spent a long time chatting at the coffee shop before her pink-haired friend had to reluctantly say her goodbyes and head home to get ready for her mission in the morning.

Ino walked home to her apartment, thinking hard on Sakura's words. Her friend had given her much food for thought.

The blonde was momentarily surprised to be staring up at the apartment building.

_She couldn't remember walking here._

Ino secretly blamed it on being too pre-occupied over trying to figure out her feelings for the puppeteer.

She sighed and walked up the stairs to her apartment. Ino reached the floor where her apartment was and walked down the long hallway to her door. As she approached the entrance, she noticed something sitting on the floor. It was a sterling rose. Ino picked up the delicate lilac colored bloom and inhaled the delicate perfume. It still looked quite fresh, which meant that the rose had not been sitting there too long.

It was obvious that Kankuro had been here. There was no point dwelling on _how _he knew this was her apartment. The man was extremely resourceful – she saw _that_ in action yesterday.

_How did he know that these were her favorites? Can he see into her soul now?_

Ino frowned slightly as a thought crossed her mind and looked at the stem of the rose… it had no thorns. She felt herself blushing bright red as she opened the door. Ino trimmed the delicate stem on the rose and placed it in the middle of the tulips.

The blonde kuniochi sat down at the table idly stroking the petals on the flowers in the vase, a wistful smile etched on her soft lips.

It was a long time before Ino finally took herself off to bed.

Before she crawled under the soft covers, she filled a bud vase with water for the rose to sit in on the floor next to her bed while she slept. Ino snuggled close to the side of the bed where the rose stood guard. Just as the arms of sweet Morpheus embraced her, she couldn't resist reaching out and stroking the petals of the rose one last time.

The soft smile remained there on her lips for the remainder of the night…


	4. Round four: Tsunade's Mission

**Author's Note: **

Okay – some news. I'm planning to write a one-shot. If you are interested in helping out… check out the bottom of my profile page for details.

It's a good thing for you little fiends that I don't need a lot of sleep to function like a paid-up member of society…

This is chapter four in all its glory for your late night reading pleasure.

It is a little longer than the previous chapters but I don't see you guys complaining about that somehow…

The response for more chapters has been incredible.

I would never have guessed in a million years that this pairing would get as much interest as it has received since I posted the first chapter.

Thank you – it means a great deal to know from an author's point of view that I seem to be on the right track.

Kankuro is being very naughty. He can't help it – Ino makes him want to be bad.

Ino isn't behaving much better either – but I can't say I blame her… he's hard to resist.

The usual warnings apply - mild language and suggestions of a sexual nature are mentioned.

Thanks to the folks who have reviewed! I appreciate hearing your thoughts on the new chapters and the story so far.

**Reviews after last chapter posting:**

**minoki:** Yeah – it sure took Ino look enough to figure out that she liked Kankuro. The girl is certainly not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree – that's for sure.

She's fortunate that she has a great friend like Sakura to talk some sense into her.

**Kuroune's Forbidden Lover, ThMau, Kuniochi Cutie:** I'm glad you folks are enjoying the story. I'll be honest - I am having a great time writing fan fiction. I've been real surprised how well my literary efforts have been received by you folks.

**ByakuganWielder:** Yep – I feel you on that one… he can stash Karasu under my bed anytime he's in town! (Author starts bleeding from the nose profusely)

**Somnus:** Considering how many excellent authors there are on this site, you have given me a rare compliment. I will do my best to keep the story as engaging as possible.

I do not wish to be hunted down and gutted like a freshly caught river trout for delivering a sub-standard chapter to you little fiends... last time I checked I didn't have a death wish.

**Japanese Names used:**

Ayame – Iris (female name)

Yukio – Gets what he wants (male name)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto… the evil genius Kishimoto does. Don't hound me for cash – I have none… just leave me in peace to write the next chapter already. Enjoy my pretties, enjoy.

**Round four: Tsunade's Mission…**

_Two days later…_

Kankuro sat lounging in the battered wooden chair, one elegant hand perched at the ready on top of Karasu's head, quietly observing the muted exchange between the assistant and her superior.

The puppeteer gave the Hokage a considered glance. _He couldn't shake the feeling that this mission of hers was not typical. Something wasn't quite right but he couldn't put his finger on it…_

Although he had spent the last week training with Team Asuma, he was surprised to hear that there would only be one other person with him on this particular mission.

Kankuro turned his head when he heard the sound of the door softly opening behind him.

_Hell! What was she doing here? She was the **last** person he was expecting to come through that door!_

Ino was having a tough time of her own trying to figure out why Kankuro was picked for this mission rather than Shikamaru. The blonde kuniochi walked over to the chair beside the puppeteer. She gingerly sat down on the edge and gave the large sand nin beside her a curious side glance.

Tsunade waited for the door to close behind her assistant before she started briefing them on their mission.

The Hokage gave the couple a wry half-smirk and said "I'm glad to hear that you two have been getting to know each other."

Ino half rose off her seat silently enraged at the mention of the gossip currently doing the rounds about them but the puppeteer's out-stretched hand touching her arm effectively stalled the young woman's angry outburst.

_How dare he stop me from leaving this stupid meeting! It's obvious the Hokage is intent to waste our time discussing village gossip._

Kankuro could tell that she was still a little on the sensitive side regarding that little incident at the Barbeque place. He sighed inwardly as he felt her muscles bunch up in anger under his touch. "_Difficult woman!"_ grouched the sand nin privately.

The blonde slid back into her chair but the man didn't move his hand from its resting place. Ino glanced over at the puppeteer who was frowning slightly at the Hokage.

"Isn't there someone else who could take her place?" Kankuro growled softly at the woman.

Ino picked up the undertone in Kankuro's voice. He was seriously worried about her coming on this mission with him… why?

Tsunade frowned back at the young man in the kabuki make-up.

_He was direct, this one. He was also nobody's fool… just like his brother._

She was impressed that he had sensed that there was more to this mission than met the eye. Tsunade decided that it would be best to use plain speaking and get the mission briefing completed as quickly as possible.

"No – there is not." replied the woman baldly. "The Anbu recently intercepted one of Orochimaru's spies in possession of sensitive documents pertaining to shinobis from this village who have bloodline limits."

"It was discovered from extensive interrogation of the spy, that Orochimaru has moved his base of operations to somewhere near his village."

"We need to infiltrate the sound village without arousing suspicion and determine what information that bastard has already secured to this point."

The puppeteer gave the Hokage a long look of consideration, slowly digesting the information.

He could see why the older woman would be reluctant to use any male shinobi from the leaf village on this mission. They would be easy targets – especially with Orochimaru already in possession of the Uchiha bloodline limit of the Sharingan.

Tsunade looked at the blonde kuniochi and nodded before continuing. "Ino's ability to temporarily transfer into another person's body makes her perfect for a mission of this nature." The Hokage's gaze drifted over to the sand shinobi and confirmed his gut feeling with her next comment. "We need someone who is unknown to Orochimaru's organization and can gather information without arousing suspicion."

Kankuro removed his outstretched hand from Ino's arm and the blonde felt herself feeling a little sad at the sudden loss of the comfort his warmth offered.

"So, what's our cover?" asked the sand shinobi in a dangerously soft voice.

Tsunade raised her eyebrow at the tone and replied "This mission is going to be a chance for you two to get better acquainted… You are going to be traveling undercover as Yukio and Ayame Sakamoto - a young couple on your honeymoon."

----------------

The Hokage carefully held back the evil grin she felt itching to burst forth at any moment. The loud-mouthed blonde looked like she just went into some sort of catatonic trance at the news. She silently sympathized with her… having had the dubious pleasure of the Kazekage's company from time to time - she could imagine this past week had been no cake walk for Ino having to deal with the puppeteer.

The incident in the Korean Barbeque place was slowly becoming infamous. The sand nin had only been in the village a few hours but had already managed to cause trouble for the blonde kuniochi.

Tsunade had heard from the village grapevine that the young woman had successfully hid out in the family flower shop for a week to wait it out before the puppeteer had tracked her down.

She was shrewd enough to recognize a certain amount of mutual attraction was going on between the two nins. Tsunade wasn't blind to the fact that Kankuro had just tried to actively dissuade her from sending Ino on this particular mission. She frowned slightly at the large man in the kabuki make up. Her decision stood – the puppeteer better get used to it!

Besides - the young woman would be better protected by someone who actually cared about her. The older woman slid over the documents they needed for the mission and two scrolls. Tsunade told them to sign one of the documents she gave them then she gestured to the scrolls and said "You'll use the scrolls to directly communicate any information you discover in the sound village regarding Orochimaru's activities to me."

The Hokage leaned forward on her desk and pinned the puppeteer with a piercing look.

"At the first sign of trouble – you need to leave the village. I can't have you two running the risk of getting injured on a simple information gathering mission."

"It's goes without saying that there is an imperative need to blend in as much as possible."

Kankuro finally understood why he had been specifically requested for this mission. He nodded in response to the unspoken directive.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and opened up a drawer on her desk. Ino could see her fishing around for something. She was further puzzled when she saw the Hokage pull out a small draw-string bag and shake out two small round objects. The blonde's view of the contents of the bag was blocked by another more intriguing view of Kankuro's broad back and tight backside as he leaned forward to retrieve the items Tsunade held out to him.

The sand shinobi sat back down in his chair and turned slightly to face the blonde woman seated beside him. Ino felt him pick up her right hand and was perplexed to see the normally infuriating man blushing profusely as he slid something onto one of her fingers.

She looked down at her hand and returned the puppeteer's embarrassed look with one of her own. _Damn it! I'm blushing now!_ She knew it was all part of the charade they had to play but it felt very intimate and real to her. Ino wasn't blind to the fact that Kankuro seemed deeply affected by this simple exchange of rings. The blonde took the other ring from the sand nin's suspiciously trembling hand and returned the favor by sliding his ring onto his outstretched fingers.

Kankuro looked back at the Hokage to see that one watching the proceedings with a great deal of interest.

"Anything else?" grouched the puppeteer. He knew he was being rude but at this point, he couldn't care less. The sooner they wind up this stupid briefing, the quicker they could flee back to their prospective holes in the walls to get ready to depart.

"Yes – be ready to leave tomorrow morning… and dress appropriately." replied Tsunade

She slid a small envelope onto the table and added "This has your accommodation information as well as money for general expenses."

Kankuro leaned over again and retrieved the envelope. He knew Ino was checking his butt out – he could feel those blue eyes of hers burning his flesh. The sand nin silently cursed to himself. _He was blushing again… he could feel his face burning up!_

Kankuro quickly scooped up the envelope and swung his head around to give the blonde a scowl.

Ino gave a little shrug in response and grinned like an idiot. _Boy – did she get royally busted for checking him out! She couldn't help it that he had such a fine behind._

"You ready to leave?" Kankuro softly growled to the blonde.

The young woman nodded her response but the puppeteer wasn't watching. He had slung up that puppet of his onto his back and stalked over to the door – flinging it open with such force that the poor thing reverberated on its frame.

The two women followed the man's exit in silence with their eyes – then waited until they couldn't hear his footsteps echoing in the hallway outside the office.

Tsunade looked at the younger woman and grinned evilly. It certainly looked like these two will be evenly matched… the young man possessed a temper it seemed. Unlike his two siblings – it looked like it just took a little longer to rile the man up.

"You can go too… good luck, Ino." replied the Hokage.

The older woman watched her leave the room before she gave into the urge to laugh uncontrollably.

_Oh – if only she could be a fly on the wall for this particular mission!_

--------------------------

Ino stepped out into the early morning sunshine and turned slightly when she felt a pair of eyes quietly assessing her from the direction of the wall. She looked over and wasn't surprised to see the puppeteer waiting for her.

"You stalking me now?" asked the young woman, frowning at the large man.

"No… nothing as exciting as all that." grinned the puppeteer then continued "I'm waiting to walk you home. We have a few things we need to talk about before we leave tomorrow morning."

Ino continued to frown at Kankuro then slowly nodded her agreement. _He was right – damn his kabuki-covered hide! They did need to get a few things sorted out before they headed out on this wretched mission of the Hokage's._

He waited until the blonde starting to walk in the direction of her apartment before falling into step beside her. _It was the safest place to walk… he didn't think he could handle watching her swing that fine ass of hers all the way to her place!_

------------------------

The journey to her apartment was a silent one and Ino was secretly relieved. Although she was normally quite talkative, being in close proximity to the sand nin robbed her of all ability to speak right now.

She opened the door and gestured for the large man to follow her inside. Kankuro walked directly over to the sofa in the living room and propped Karasu beside him as he watched her close the front door. Ino then walked over to the kitchen to idly stroke the tulips there before joining him. The sand shinobi turned away from the scene and quickly swallowed the evil grin playing along his firm lips. He didn't miss the wistful look that appeared on her face as she dragged one manicured finger softly down the side of one of the blooms.

_If that's what it took to put that particular look on her face – he would buy her flowers on a regular basis!_ Now – if only he could get her to drag her fingers willingly down _his _flesh like that. _Yes – he was being a pervert again!_ Kankuro sighed to himself. It was kind of hard not to think these dirty thoughts around her. She really brought out the worst in him.

The sand nin looked down at the small metal band on his hand, bringing his mind back to one of the things they needed to address. He was surprised to feel a curiously sharp and oddly possessive need flash through him at the mere thought of being around this young woman on a permanent basis.

The puppeteer waited for Ino to sit down before he started to discuss his concerns with her regarding this mission of theirs.

"I will be honest with you, Ino… I'm not thrilled about the idea of you being my partner for this mission…" started Kankuro, only to be interrupted by an irate Ino.

"I don't need a big make-up wearing jerk like you telling me which missions I should or should not take!" bristled the blonde kuniochi.

_Great! Just wonderful… she's gone on the defensive._ The sand nin sighed to himself and thought privately that this little chat of theirs was now going to take a lot more time than he originally planned. He was thinking of the best way to explain his concerns to the young woman without getting her all bent out of shape, when a part of his brain screeched to a halt as it finally digested what she had just said to him.

He stood up suddenly, effectively knocking his puppet from its resting spot and glared down at the young blonde harridan sitting on the matching sofa with her arms firmly crossed, staring daggers at him. He didn't even hear Karasu hit the floor - the blood was roaring so fast through his head and he visibly bristled at the insult she just handed him.

"Did you just say I wore _make-up_?" asked the puppeteer in a deceptively soft voice.

--------------------------

Ino realized her mistake immediately when she heard that particular tone in his voice.

The young woman looked up quickly at the man's face to see a large vein throbbing ominously at his temple. Ino then swallowed to try to dislodge the hard lump forming at the back of her throat.

She had unknowingly struck a nerve and the man was furious with her.

Initially - Ino's sole concern was to try and calm down the man before he erupted.

_It was always the quiet ones you had to watch!_

Without considering the possible consequences of her actions, she stood up directly in front of the puppeteer and placed a small hand on his chest to both steady herself and to try to calm down the large bristling male.

She felt the shocks all the way up her arm and felt her body go into overdrive at the contact. Ino raised a startled face up to Kankuro's own equally stunned features, and accidentally brushed her lips with his. She felt the large nin go rigid for a moment before she felt herself being hauled into a wall of pure muscle. Ino draped her arms around the puppeteer's shoulders in an effort to prevent herself from falling backwards and onto her rump. Kankuro had ceased to think ever since she touched his chest – pure instinct had now kicked in and taken control of the situation. He took advantage of the blonde's new position and moved in for the kill. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with all the pent up passion she was making him feel. At first he was angry with her but that emotion quickly switched to something else entirely when he felt her return his kisses in earnest.

Kankuro felt the cat-hood slide off his head and gave a low groan when he felt her hands roving through his hair. One of his hands slid up the blonde's back and plucked the hair band out of her hair, releasing the pony tail. The puppeteer stopped kissing her long enough to survey his handiwork before he felt himself being unceremoniously wrenched back to the task at hand. He was tempted to chuckle evilly at her telling action but wisely refrained. _There was no way he was going to do something **that** stupid. The last thing he wanted at this point was for her to **stop** kissing him!_

She was everything he imagined she would be but he was beginning to see that the reality of having her in his arms was _far_ better than any fantasy he could dream up.

Her hair felt like fine strands of silk as he slid his hand through the golden mass. It was so soft and fine. A thought crossed his mind and he frowned slightly. _This can't be very comfortable for her… _ They were still standing… well, he was standing and she was dangling from his body. Kankuro grinned wolfishly at that thought. _She could cling to him anytime she wanted!_

He slid his large hand lower down her body and gathered her close before he sat back down to the sofa. Ino was now curled against him, resting on his chest but she had yet to stop kissing him!

_Ahhh – this was so much better! He could definitely get used to this!_

------------------

It was a while before Kankuro finally decided to let the dazed blonde in his lap up for air.

The puppeteer looked down at his handiwork with smug satisfaction and found himself immensely pleased with the results.

He had been initially concerned that they would be unable to successfully pull off the roles they had been forced to play for this mission. It wasn't a question of attraction that had worried him but the fact that she was still fighting _that_ attraction.

_I should get mad at her more often! I could certainly get used to her methods of calming me down…_

Kankuro grinned wolfishly to himself. _This was turning out better than he had hoped!_

He had been a little skeptical at first when the Hokage had mentioned that they would be masquerading as a newly-wed couple but he was definitely warming up to the idea!

Ino tugged on him to bring him back for more kisses but the puppeteer with a small smile on his face shook his head at the young woman. As much as he would prefer to keep kissing her, Kankuro also knew that he was in danger of doing the thing that he had joked about in his report to the Kazekage. Aside from the risk of incurring Gaara's wrath, he really didn't want to rush into things with Ino and run the risk of screwing things up with her. As delightful as this diversion was, Kankuro knew that they still needed to talk about the mission.

The puppeteer placed one hand behind his head and sheepishly said, "I was actually worried that we wouldn't be able to pull off this charade of being newly-weds, Ino but you managed to put my mind at ease."

The blonde leaned back and looked floored. _How did she get it all so very wrong? _

"I'm sorry… I thought the reason you didn't want me on the mission was because you didn't think I could do a good job." replied the kuniochi, a little embarrassed.

Kankuro frowned slightly at that comment and quickly tried to put her mind at ease. "No, Ino – It's not that at all. I'm concerned this is going to be a dangerous mission. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, that's all."

The blonde scowled at that. "You're being a little overprotective, don't you think?" Ino gave the frowning man a long considered look, then continued speaking. "I'm a Shinobi… last time I checked, the whole danger thing came as part of the job description."

Kankuro groaned slightly at that statement and brought the blonde woman's head closer to his so their foreheads were touching. Ino could tell the puppeteer wasn't happy with that statement and was about to push herself off his lap in disgust when she heard the sand nin sigh in resignation and quietly reply, "Ino… I know its part of what we are but it doesn't make it easier for me to deal with - especially when I care a great deal for you."

_When was the last time she heard a man tell her that they cared for her – enough to worry about her safety? Hmmph… try never. _

She pulled her head back slightly and looked into the puppeteer's eyes. The sincerity she saw mirrored in their dark depths made her heart do strange things.

_When the man wasn't being a bastard and making her life a living hell, he could be amazingly sweet when the mood suited him._

The blonde just had a sudden evil thought and grinned at the puppeteer. Kankuro's eyes narrowed at the sudden change in her facial expression. _Now, what was she thinking?_

The sand nin had to fight down the evil smirk that threatened to burst forth when he heard Ino ask, "Kankuro, can we just keep kissing? ...then maybe you can _show_ me some of the things you mentioned in that note of yours?" He didn't miss the wistful note in her voice or the hopeful gleam in her eyes. Kankuro gave the young woman a sly little smile before bending down to claim her lips with his own. He heard her breath hitch in her throat and thought to himself that if he had a choice between talking about the mission and what he was _now_ doing - he would rather do what she suggested. He would be a fool to pass up an opportunity to keep kissing Ino, especially when she was more than willing.

Besides – they could probably get more than enough chance to discuss the mission in the coming days.

Kankuro gathered the young woman close to him and stood up. He sighed wistfully to himself. _There was probably going to be Hell to pay later if this continues to its natural conclusion…_ The sand nin then mentally shrugged off that minor concern. He would worry about that when they finally crossed that particular bridge.

He looked down at the blonde in his arms and gave her one last chance to change her mind. "You sure about this?" asked the puppeteer, quirking an eyebrow.

Ino felt her face go fiery red and she knew she was suddenly incapable of saying anything, so she merely nodded her agreement.

Kankuro gave Ino another soul shattering kiss before he whispered something in her ear. The kuniochi blushed shyly and pointed to a nearby door.

He opened the door to her bedroom and saw the rose beside the bed. He groaned to himself. A part of him was close to losing control now that he knew that she had probably fallen asleep last night caressing that damn rose. He swallowed his groan and softly closed the door behind him and walked towards the bed.

The puppeteer gently placed the blonde woman down on the silken covers. Ino marveled how handsome he was without the hood to cover up that glorious russet-brown hair of his. Even though he still wore his kabuki makeup, she could tell that he looked like an older version of his brother, the Kazekage.

Kankuro was about to move away from her, when Ino placed a small hand on his cheekbone.

Before she closed her lips over his, she murmured "You still owe me dinner, you know." The sand nin chuckled evilly at that comment and returned her kisses in earnest.

_I owe her a lot **more** than dinner… _Kankuro privately thought, trying to hold back a naughty grin.

In the meantime though - he would gladly settle for exploring just a **few** of the things he wanted to do to her in that note of his…


	5. Round five: Just me, my sweetie

**Author's Note:**

Okay – The new chapter is finally complete for your late night reading enjoyment. It took a little longer than I was expecting but I'm pretty happy with the end product.

I would like to give a quick shout-out to the very cool **Deserter**. I greatly appreciate the PMs this week. This chapter was a challenge to write and you provided a distraction when I needed it the most.

Big, big thanks to you little deviants who have been regularly taunting me for the next update. It does my fragile little ego much good to know that you seem to be enjoying the proceedings so far… you little perverts!

On a serious note – I am really surprised and equally thrilled to know how well this story has been received. Thank you to those who have put the story on their alerts lists – you do me a great honor. I'll try my best not to disappoint.

So - I was planning on taking a week off after the last chapter but I felt inspired to plunge straight into writing the next installment. The fact that there was a review up for the last chapter _mere_ minutes after I posted it – has no bearing on my desire to get the new chapter written and up on the website.

I have put some of my favorite Naruto video links from youtube on my profiles page for your enjoyment. For the huge Kankuro fans – you really need to check out the first video on the list… heheh… it's pretty good. (Author's nose starts bleeding profusely)

Also – I have posted my first one-shot. If you guys would like to see a particular pairing used in a one-shot story - please check my profile for details and we'll see about making it happen.

**Review and PM Responses**:

1. Okay, people… I get the hint already… you want to know what bad boy said in the note… I get it. There is no need to wave your pitchforks in my face… all will be revealed – promise!

2. There has been a mention of the possibility of some lemon. I was seriously contemplating putting some citrusy goodness in at a later date but that would necessitate in raising the current teen rating to mature content. I have decided to leave the rating stand as is – rather than preventing anyone under the age of 16 from reading the story. I can still make the tale racy and exciting without alienating anyone.

3. There has been some interest expressed in doing some fan art for the stories I have posted. If you wish to do some and send it to me via email or PM – I will post it on the profile.

I would like to thank you folks brave enough to leave a review and put forth your opinion. It's great to hear your thoughts on the latest chapter postings.

I got all inspired to write chapter five listening to two songs in particular:

1. _Guilt is a useless emotion_ – New Order (for Kankuro)

2. _Forbidden Fruit_ – Jessica Simpson (for Ino)

Ahhh – the path of true love is never smooth… especially for these two!

Kankuro is being very naughty. Ino is seriously confused and on the warpath for some sand shinobi hide.

The usual warnings apply - mild language, mild violence and suggestions of a sexual nature are mentioned.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Deal with it and leave me to cry over my loss of sleep as I get the next chapter written. Enjoy, beautiful people, enjoy!

**Round 5: Just me, my sweetie and the open road**

The puppeteer restlessly paced back and forth before the large wooden entry gates. He was feeling oddly nervous about this mission, now that the reality of what they were about to do kicked in. Kankuro looked down the road, scanning for the blonde virago.

_Hmmph – no sign of her yet. At least I know that she can't blame her tardiness on me!_

The sand nin grinned wolfishly as images of yesterday's activities filled his mind. Kankuro raised one hand to gingerly touch the lump still present at the back of his head. He winced at the pain still emanating from the evidence of Ino's displeasure at him.

_It was his own damn fault! He shouldn't have pissed her off._

The puppeteer chuckled over the memory of having to explain to the medic nins at the hospital how he had received the injury. He didn't miss the look of terror that a couple of the male medics had on their faces at the mere mention of the blonde's name.

_Hmmmph – It's going to take more than a flying alarm clock aimed at the back of my skull to deter me from Ino's company._

Kankuro knew it was wrong to stop the fun just when it was getting interesting but at the time, he felt it was the best thing to do. The puppeteer sighed wistfully – momentarily transfixed by the memories that were flooding his mind. Her kisses had been as intoxicating as a rare wine. One taste and he couldn't seem to get enough of her. Ino was pure fire in his arms and he didn't miss the way the blonde clung to him. As delightful as the experience had been – Kankuro had a revelation when he was rolling around on the bed with her. He realized fully in that moment that his attraction for the little vixen wasn't a simple case of shallow infatuation. The puppeteer was honest with himself enough to know that he wanted more than just a quick interlude.

He also had a more pressing concern that kept intruding in his thoughts that needed to take priority. They had to embark on a potentially dangerous mission today and he needed to keep his mind focused on that – not on Ino's abundant charms.

The sand nin glanced down the road again and frowned slightly before looking at his watch. Kankuro was pissed when he realized that he'd been waiting for the blonde's arrival for two hours.

_That's it… It's one thing to be mad at me but to be kept waiting when she **knows** we have a mission today – that I **won't** tolerate from her!_

The puppeteer stalked down the road in a foul mood, oblivious to the startled looks he was receiving from the people rushing to get out of his way. They would leave for this mission today, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming from her bed…

-------------------------

It was the pounding on the door that alerted Ino to the fact that she had company…

"G-go away…" wailed the miserable blonde. "Ino…" growled the low dangerous voice, "Open this door now or I will break it down."

_Oh great! It was **him**! _ groaned the young woman sadly. She was tempted to ignore him but knew that he would make good on his promise to do some major damage on her apartment door.

Ino grudgingly got out of her bed and slunk to the door, opening it a crack. Her puffy red-rimmed eyes widened slightly at the dark brooding bronze god standing in front of her. Her brain knew it was the puppeteer but her eyes were having a tough time digesting the fact that he looked like _this_ under the kabuki-makeup. Kankuro took advantage of her momentary confusion to barge into her apartment.

The sand nin softly closed the door and looked down at the woman, who a few hours ago had brained him with a bedside alarm clock and screamed like a fishwife at him, telling him to leave her apartment. It was a shock – all that glorious vibrancy seemed to be dampened, leaving this fragile shadow in front of him.

Kankuro tilted her chin and looked into her swollen eyes and sighed to himself. It looked like she had been crying all this time… He needed to sort out what was going on and set off on this mission soon before they lost anymore valuable daylight hours.

"What's wrong?" murmured the puppeteer softly. Ino felt her eyes fill up with tears again at the concern she heard in his voice.

"Why did you stop?" whispered the blonde in a broken voice and bowed her head dejectedly.

Kankuro looked down at the young woman with a stunned look on his face.

_All this **because** he decided to do the right thing?_ _He couldn't believe it! _

He pushed a hand through his wild mane, the only outward sign of his combined agitation and frustration at this unexpected situation. He was having a tough time coming to terms with the young woman's distress at being denied _his_ company. Hell – he was _used_ to women dismissing his presence, especially when he was around Gaara.

He decided then and there that Ino had more than enough time to wallow in her self-pity.

The sand nin scooped the blonde kuniochi up in his arms – ignoring her little squeak of distress and walked over to one of the sofas to sit down. He needed to clear this little problem up now before it became a bigger issue between them.

"Ino – I stopped because now was _not_ the time. I want you to want me as much as I want you… You still don't trust me enough to make that level of commitment yet. I don't do temporary… it's all or nothing. I thought I made that very clear to you in my note…"

He pinned her with a searching look and said "I don't plan on stopping at a few kisses next time – I plan to finish what we started. When we do eventually make love, it will be everything I promised."

Ino looked up at the puppeteer with an odd mix of awe. "Everything… really?" asked the blonde with morbid curiosity in her bloodshot eyes.

Kankuro shot her a look of impatience. He was beginning to see why Shikamaru viewed women as troublesome creatures… just by the tone - it was obvious she was fishing for reassurance. It looked like he needed to spell it out to her word for word.

_If that's what it takes…Damn it - I'll do it!_

The sand nin gave her a smoldering look and quoted his note - softly growling out the words, "Yes… I want to wake up every morning to find you by my side. Yes… I want to hold you late at night and keep the shadows at bay. Yes… I want to give you the unconditional love you deserve. Yes… I want to kiss and touch you everywhere until you're breathless with need, begging for more. Yes… I plan to screw your brains out until you're too tired to move a muscle or twitch an eyelash. Yes… I want to explore every conceivable position there is and invent a few more. Yes… I want to take you in every part of your apartment, so you have something to think about when we're apart. Yes… I want to imprint myself onto your soul, so no other man will compare to me. And Yes… I want you to have my babies."

Kankuro caressed the side of Ino's face with the back of hand and continued, "Yes, Ino – I meant every single damn word I wrote but I warn you now, I want the whole fairytale. If it means that I need to leave you frustrated until you're ready to own up to your feelings about me – then I'm prepared to wait."

The blonde flushed guiltily at that reminder. The puppeteer was many things but she was beginning to see that hypocrite wasn't one of them. Ino would rather die than admit to this man that she greatly admired him for sticking to his principles. She sheepishly raised a hand to touch the back of his head and wasn't surprised to see him flinch. "It still hurts, huh? I'm sorry, Kankuro…" murmured Ino softly before she looked away.

The puppeteer chuckled a little and gently brought her face to his to give her a soft kiss.

"It's okay, Ino – I'll live." Kankuro smiled at the blonde and then sighed. "Why don't you get ready so we can finally head off on this mission of ours...?"

The sand nin watched the horror dawn on her face and felt her push off his lap. He shook his head slightly as he heard the bathroom door slam behind him.

_Typical – she was so miserable and mad at him that she forgot about their mission…_

-------------------------------

Ino tried to stop blushing as she trotted beside the puppeteer through the village an hour later but it was difficult. He had insisted on holding her hand as soon as they had left her apartment. Ino knew it was all part of the mission and the little charade they were forced to play but it was causing havoc with her peace of mind She was also having a tough time dealing with the stares they were receiving as people hurried out of the couples wake. It didn't help that Kankuro looked radically different to his usual appearance. Ino groaned weakly as they breezed past a stunned Tenten standing outside the Ramen restaurant with Neji. She managed to give a hesitant wave to her friend before they continued to barrel down the road like an express train. Ino could tell that the Weapons mistress was confused who this man was, clasping her friend's hand in such a familiar way. She sighed inwardly – she knew that she had a _lot_ of explaining to do when they eventually came back from this mission.

The blonde had to admit to herself privately, that beauty of the face hidden under all that kabuki makeup had been an unexpected surprise. Ino tried to not openly stare up at the large man beside her but it was tough. She was feeling oddly possessive knowing that this man openly wanted her. It was one thing to refuse him in his usual garb of cat-hood and kabuki makeup but another to try and turn down the chiseled dish of a man beside her.

They continued traveling at the brisk pace the puppeteer set until they had reached a spot on the dusty road where they could not see the large village gates anymore.

"Sweetheart, why are we rushing?" asked the blonde in a saccherine sweet tone. The puppeteer was momentarily pole-axed from the unexpected endearment coming from the normally frosty kuniochi's lips. He really did like the idea of her calling _him_ sweetheart but that tone of hers… Kankuro shook his head slightly, a small smirk touching his lips.

It was definitely a change from the weeping blonde wreck he encountered at her apartment. He was tempted to let her comment slide but a part of him really didn't want to back down from the challenge she unwittingly threw out. He stopped abruptly and raised her hand to his lips. The sand nin watched her carefully under hooded lashes as he murmured "Ayame, I am anxious to finally be alone with you… that's why I'm rushing, darling." He saw her catch her breath at his comment and grinned evilly over her hand. _He was such an evil bastard but he couldn't help it around her. She really did bring it out in him though. He was **never** bored around her._

He pressed his lips to her hand and couldn't resist the impulse to drag the tip of his tongue down the curve of her hand to her wrist bone. Kankuro heard the young woman let out a shaky gasp as she jerked her hand away from his grasp. He watched her face go scarlet before she stalked off ahead of him. "Don't go too far, sweetheart…" called out Kankuro, grinning evilly.

------------------------

_He did it again. He was playing his stupid little games… and worse yet, she was taking his bait. _

"Yep – he's got you pretty much figured out, Ino…" muttered the blonde.

Ino refused to admit the real reason she was mad at the puppeteer. _He had given her an itch that she needed scratched._ She just wasn't counting on him sticking to his guns and insisting on treating her with the utmost courtesy.

_He was a handsome devil though… especially in that indigo yukata he chose to wear today!_ sighed that insidious little traitor inside her.

"This is sooo unfair…" grumbled Ino under her breath, "It was easier to ignore the smug bastard when he wore that hideous disguise of his."

_Lie to yourself all you want, Ino… You weren't **exactly** ignoring him yesterday when you were rolling around on the bed with him… if anything, it was the exact opposite._

The blonde stopped walking, suddenly disgusted with her inner thoughts. Yeah – who the hell did she think she was kidding? Damn it – she didn't know how to deal with him… her heart was smitten but her brain just refused to give into what she was secretly beginning to think was a losing battle of wills. _Why was she fighting him about this…? She was so confused…_

Ino mentally cursed her weakness when she started to feel the sting of tears behind her eyes. She looked down at the ground and saw the tell-tale spots rapidly increasing at her feet.

The blonde heard a strangled curse from behind her before she was swept up in the strong arms of her materialized tormentor.

Seeing the puppeteer's horrified expression at the sight of her obvious distress, made the woman cry more. She didn't think she could handle getting any compassion and concern from this man right now. It was just too much for her fragile ego to handle.

She felt the large man settle down under a tree, but she noticed that he kept her cradled in his lap.

Kankuro dragged a shaking hand through his russet locks and looked at the woman clinging to his chest. It was obvious he was the cause of her tears and he was starting to feel like a heel.

"I-Ayame… I'm sorry. Look – if my attention is upsetting you so much, I'll leave you alone and keep it strictly professional between us." murmured the puppeteer in a low voice. It was the last thing he really wanted to do but he wasn't going to force himself on her if she truly wasn't interested. He had been hopeful when he had heard her talking to Sakura the other day, but now that he saw her crying - he wasn't so sure. He felt his heart constrict painfully at the thought of walking away but he didn't want to cause her anymore distress. _Okay – so he wasn't a complete and utter bastard then._

Ino looked stunned by the large man's words. She wasn't counting on receiving an apology from him – that was pretty unexpected. The blonde felt herself inexplicably overwhelmed by a sudden sense of rage.

"**_NOOOOO!"_**

_Like hell he was going to walk away from her!_ fumed that little voice inside her head.

Kankuro looked up into the sky to see the birds scatter from the tree in a frantic mass exodus. _Impressive!_

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her in askance. The sand nin was shocked to see her flush scarlet and look away from him abruptly.

"K-Yukio… I-I…umm." stuttered the blonde before she took a deep calming breath and continued, "I-I don't want you to leave me alone…I-I just need a little time… that's all."

Kankuro let out a relieved breath, secretly happy at her confession. He gently took her chin and turned her scarlet face towards him. "I-Ayame – I'll give you all the time you need then… but I'm not going to touch you unless you make the first move. You need to be sure because I don't give up what's mine." softly growled the sand shinobi.

Ino understood loud and clear what the man was telling her. She had been given her one opportunity to refuse his overtures at a courtship between the two of them. If she chose to take it to the next level, he had no intention of stopping.

The blonde reached up and touched the puppeteer's firm jaw line. She was about to kiss him when he laid a finger on her lips and scowled at her – shaking his head slightly.

"No… sorry, sweetheart. I meant what I said… you're gonna have to wait on that as well."

Ino looked at him in shock, "Y-you can't do that… we're supposed to be married!"

Kankuro smiled wryly in response to that particular outburst and gently lifted the blonde off his lap before standing up to walk over to the roadside.

"Well… you should have figured that out _before _you started having these issues about us, sweet Ayame." His gruff chuckle drifted on the breeze as he disappeared from the shade of the tree.

--------------------------

Ino had come to one important decision since the little discussion under the tree. She had decided that she didn't like the business end of her _husband._ Kankuro had gone back to holding her hand but little else. They had been on the road for a few hours now and while he had been a wonderfully entertaining travel companion - not once, had he reverted back to his bantering ways. When they had stopped for lunch, he was very attentive and sweet. He had given everyone watching them, the desired impression that they were in the first flush of their married life together.

Ino had always wanted a man to act like this around her but it was seriously starting to annoy her. She knew that she only had herself to blame for this curious turn of events.

The blonde kuniochi had to again grudgingly give the man respect for sticking to his principles.

_Damn! Twice in one day… most men would have succumbed to the temptation by now…_ Ino was beginning to see quite clearly that Kankuro was not like most men. When she realized that he was prepared to give up his pursuit of her if she didn't return any feelings for him, she knew then that she did care for him and found herself admitting that much to the man. She gave a weary sigh and heard the small smile in the sand nin's voice when he said, "Don't worry, honey… we'll be there shortly."

Ino snorted to herself. She wished he would stop using those cute little endearments… they were causing hordes of butterflies to flutter in her stomach. It was a disconcerting feeling.

"According to the map, the Lotus Blossom Inn is just down the road a bit."

Kankuro looked up from the directions he had fished out of his pocket and pointed to small cluster of buildings in the distance.

The blonde sighed gratefully at that news. _She can finally crawl out of her grimy yakuta and pamper herself with a long soak in a tub._

The couple reached the cozy little inn and walked up the stairs to the small reception area.

"Can I help you?" greeted an older woman in an indigo kimono.

Kankuro handed over the reservation information to the woman and slid his free hand down Ino's back in a languid caress before settling it at her hip. The blonde's blushing features and the young man's possessive gesture caused the woman's face to light up with a knowing smile.

"Ahhh… you must be Mr. and Mrs. Sakamoto. Your aunt Tsunade sent word that we would be expecting you sometime today."

The puppeteer smiled at the charming woman and nodded in agreement.

"If you follow me, I will take you to your room."

Kankuro could feel the young woman next to him stiffen slightly and he stopped momentarily to whisper in her ear, "Relax, everything will be fine… how bad can it be?"

The receptionist looked back at the young couple to see the handsome devil nuzzling the blushing blonde's neck. Yes, she could see the poor thing had her hands full dealing with that one…

"_Ahhh, young love."_ sighed the woman before stopping in front of a set of rooms in the back of the inn.

She slid open the door while Kankuro and Ino removed their footwear.

"This is the Honeymoon Suite… it has its own bathing area as well as spacious sleeping quarters. We hope you enjoy your stay. If you need anything, please let us know." The woman bowed and left the pair standing at the door. She didn't seem to notice the young blonde go pale at the news that they would be staying in _these_ rooms.

Kankuro didn't give Ino too much time to think about it but instead swept her up into his arms and carried her into the room.

He laid her on the bed and went back to the door for their luggage. "Well, darling… it's not too bad… it looks like a very nice room." remarked the puppeteer as he closed the door and slid the bolt home. He heard Ino give out a horrified gasp and looked quickly over at her lying on the bed. Kankuro was trying not to think how sexy she looked draped on the dark covers. Instead he frowned his concern and asked, "Ayame, what's wrong?"

Ino was having problems finding her voice, which was _unusual_ for her and was making an odd choking sound while pointing at the ceiling.

Kankuro followed her frantic gesturing and looked up. "Oh." replied the large man - trying to keep his voice as casual as possible.

"Good God, Yukio – Please tell me _Aunt_ Tsunade is joking?" hissed the now highly embarrassed blonde.

He was trying _really _hard not to roar with laughter as he looked up at the large mirror suspended from the ceiling and hanging directly over the bed…

Kankuro walked over to the bed and sat down next to Ino. He watched her go even redder than before and looked up at the image of the two of them on that big bed. He thought it was quiteerotic but there was no way in hell that he was going to say that to his delightful companion.

Instead he held her hand and gave Ino a sweet but wry smile before he answered her.

"Sweetheart, what did _you_ expect from a Honeymoon Suite?"


	6. Round Six: Bathtime Hijinx

**Author's note:**

Yes – it's been a while since I posted a new chapter but it's here now, so quit your whining! XD

Illness has a tendency of slowing your momentum down.

Big thanks to one of my regular reviewers **Judo Creature**, for previewing the chapter before I posted this bad boy. I had to make sure that it wasn't the medication talking. XD

I have added a story updates section at the top of my profile page for those folks curious to see what I am working on and where I am progress wise - on each story. This new section will be updated regularly to reflect new changes in story developments and new postings.

I actually took a break from writing for a week or two prior to getting sick, to indulge in my own little voyeuristic tendencies… yes, my little fiends – I have been reading some fan fiction. I saw more citrus than a fruit packing plant! Hehehehe.

It's been fun but sadly, I hear the harpy tones of Ino calling me back to the story.

(Blood slowly trickles from the author's ears).

I have some folks giving me the stink eye over my decision to not turn this story into a lemon of epic proportions. On a serious note, if the story dictates that it needs the tang of citrus – I will change the rating accordingly.

You closet voyeurs seem to be enjoying the show – so, I have no intention of disappointing anyone at this point in the game. Thanks to everyone reading – the amount of hits my stories have been receiving has been nothing short of phenomenal!

Thanks to the usual suspects for reviewing: **Byukuganwielder, Lostsoulofregret, Ox King, Maiyuko-chan, Ukiyo-e, ThMau **and the ever naughty **Judo Creature** and a big welcome to some brave new souls: **mika-chan, sona, smiling cat, Victimofcircumstance, Oxygen Pirate **and **Athena Solaris**.

**Judo Creature:** You get special kudos for getting some poor soul hooked to my pulp. The fact that they mentioned you by name in the review was pretty impressive stuff.

The musical inspiration for this chapter is:

The band Aqualung with a little Nickelback thrown in. (A little mood music is good from time to time).

The pictorial inspiration for this chapter is a fan art image of Kankuro reclining seductively in a black silk gown.

For those who need to view the eye candy, check out the Kankuro AMV listed on my profiles page.

Round Six is rated P for perverts, puppeteers and panties… oh my!

Kankuro is very naughty. Ino is seriously confused – the puppeteer does that to her.

The usual warnings apply - mild language, mild violence, nudity and suggestions of a sexual nature are mentioned. Yes, people – I said nudity…

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Deal with it and leave me to cry over my loss of sleep as I get the next chapter written. Enjoy, beautiful people, enjoy!

**Round Six: Bath-time Hijinx…**

Kankuro watched his _wife_ still stretched out on the bed. Poor Ino was asleep, most likely as a result of all the stress she'd been under today.

_Hell – he couldn't blame her! It had been quite the day for the two of them…_

He was surprised how well they managed to deal with each other once the melodramatics had been dispensed with and a few relationship ground rules had been established.

He turned back to the cupboard and frowned slightly as he continued to stash their luggage. Kankuro wasn't thrilled about the new situation but it couldn't be helped.

It was a start that he'd gotten her to _at least_ admit that she had feelings other than extreme violence to his person. He could bide his time for her to admit to the rest.

_She was such a stubborn little minx!_ _She won't give in without a struggle._

Kankuro glanced over at the blonde kuniochi sprawled out on the bed like an offering to the gods. He sighed wistfully before quietly walking over to the door.

_I need to get out of here before I follow through on my prurient fantasies…_

The puppeteer reluctantly slid open the door and gave his sleeping companion one last longing glance before he closed the door behind him.

_I hope you come to a decision soon, Ino… for both our sakes!_

---------------------------------

Ino stirred restlessly at the soft sound of the door sliding shut and shifted to her side. She sat up on the edge of the bed and blinked owlishly, frowning slightly as she noticed that Kankuro was nowhere to be seen. The blonde was torn with conflicting emotions – she was secretly thrilled that the smug bastard had finally left her in peace and _yet_, she was a little terrified that he had continued on the mission without her. Ino scanned the room and caught sight of the satchel that contained the puppeteer's summoning scroll and breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way in hell she would ever admit to his face that she was glad to have him around her.

_It was bad enough that he got her to admit that she liked him!_

Ino stretched languidly and gingerly plucked at her clothing, wrinkling her nose at the smell of road grit and caked on sweat assailing her senses.

She couldn't believe that she'd fallen asleep, smelling like this!

_Ugh! No wonder the big lug left the room! I can't even stand the smell!_ grimaced the kuniochi.

She scanned the floor but her duffel bag was nowhere to be seen. Kankuro must have stashed her bag in one of the drawers in that chest.

Ino pushed herself up and walked over to the teak chest of drawers standing against the wall. The blonde blushed hotly when she opened the top drawer to the sight of her delicate fripperies stacked neatly inside. _Damn it!_ She didn't know _exactly_ how she felt about the sand pig having his hands all over her lacy panties. Ino quickly snatched up fresh underwear, silently willing the little tremors in her hand to stop and snapped the drawer shut. She rested her forehead against the edge of the chest of drawers, drawing in little cleansing breaths of air into her suddenly constricted airways.

_Arghh! Stay calm, Ino… There is **no** way that you're going to let one man get the better of you!_

The kuniochi sighed deeply before mentally strengthening her resolve to resist Kankuro's unique charm. She opened the small armoire and was relieved to see her robe hanging there. Ino's eyes then widened when she saw the other robe draped seductively on the hanger next to hers and tried to shut out the images of the robe on the large man. One traitorous hand reached out and touched the silky black material, her thumb lightly brushing over the embroidery. This robe against his skin burned an indelible image into her mind. The scarlet dragon rippled on its ebony sea, tempting her with forbidden thoughts… things that despite outward appearances, she had not been inclined to indulge in until the timely arrival of the puppeteer.

_It made her think of her hands sliding over the silken material to remove it from his firm body._

The blonde swallowed the lump that came to her throat and her skin broke out in a fine sheen of perspiration.

_She was in **serious** trouble if the reality turned out better than her actual fantasies…_

Ino quickly grabbed her robe and closed the closet, content in the knowledge that for the moment she was safe from the sand shinobi's attentions.

----------------------------

The man featured prominently in Ino's musings was on his way back to the Honeymoon suite. Kankuro had so far managed to successfully avoid the temptation of stripping the blonde on the bed and branding every part of her body with scorching kisses. He had seriously thought all his good intentions were going to fly out the window when he had unpacked the kuniochi's duffel bag and his hand pulled out the naughtiest scraps of lacy confections his perverted eyes had ever seen. He stopped abruptly and closed his eyes as a wave of pure lust enveloped his senses at the thought of those sheer black Brazilian panties.

_Surely that wasn't standard issue for kuniochi these days… if so – I'm a goner!_

_What the hell was that fabric? So sheer, so soft… So silky._

A soft husky groan erupted from the puppeteer.

_Oh God… He had been able to see his hand through them!_

The puppeteer felt a familiar stirring in his loins and cursed quietly under his breath. It was going to be close but he was going to get himself under control!

Kankuro took a deep cleansing breath and opened his eyes, trying to keep his attention on the mission _rather_ than trying to think of creative ways of persuading Ino to let him do unspeakable things to her.

_Like tying her down starfish fashion on that damn bed naked… _

_No – the mission was more important… but not by much!_

The sand nin smiled wryly as he reflected on what he was able to achieve away from the allure of _that_ room…

Kankuro had managed to track down their hostess and send off messages to "Auntie" Tsunade and his brother, Gaara to apprise them of their current status. By his estimation – they had four more days of traveling before they got to the village of Sound. He sighed deeply.

_If he thought today was eventful, he had a feeling that things were going to get **even** more interesting once they were at the Sound Village._

The sand nin redirected his attention to getting back before room service arrived. The last thing he wanted to deal with was an enraged Ino throwing inanimate objects at some poor bastard who's trying to just do their job! He smiled wolfishly at the memory of Nozomi's knowing look when he requested a meal to be sent to their room when he casually mentioned his wife was too tired to go out. She was wrong in her assumption this time around but if he had his way, Ino won't have _any_ energy to twitch let alone walk…

_He was looking forward to that day with great anticipation!_

Kankuro chuckled evilly to himself as he got to the door… life certainly was going to be interesting with Ino around, that's for sure.

-------------------------------

The puppeteer quietly opened the door and crept stealthily into the room, careful not to make noise and wake Ino. The poor woman had looked like she needed to sleep. Kankuro sighed inwardly and knew that he was largely responsible for the blonde's sleepless night. The bastard part of him was cursing him out roundly for not just nailing her to her futon when he had the opportunity. The puppeteer knew that was his usual mode of operation but not this time.

_Yeah – He was getting soft in his old age… but he knew one taste wasn't going to be enough as far as she was concerned!_

He readily admitted to himself that Ino was different. It wasn't just because of her untouched state.

_The little vixen would shred him into fine pieces if he let on that he knew her secret._

The pieces of the puzzle had slipped into place on the journey to the inn. At first he had been shockingly surprised but that emotion quickly escalated into one he was not familiar with – jealous possessiveness.

He pressed his forehead against the door panel, closing his eyes briefly and sighed.

She certainly was a prickly little thing but he had an innate feeling that when she finally came to a decision regarding them, she would do so in a blaze of passion.

Kankuro flicked open his eyes and cautiously cast his gaze over to the bed. He felt foolish – the puppeteer really didn't want Ino to catch him in his moment of weakness. The sand nin was mildly surprised to see the bed empty. He lifted his head off its resting spot and frowning, he walked over to the now vacant bed. Kankuro slid his large hand over the cool sheets and was relieved to feel Ino's warmth still radiating from it.

_She hadn't gotten up too long ago then…_

The puppeteer scanned the room and spied a dirty yukata pooled on the floor with a pile of skimpy lacy things on top. He shook his head when he saw them sitting there, taunting him with their hidden promise.

_Ahhh, Ino… you and those panties are killing me…_

It was like waving a red cape in front of a bull. He was contemplating what he should do next when he heard the soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?" asked the sand nin.

"Room service, Sakamoto-san." replied a cheerful voice.

Kankuro grinned wolfishly. He knew exactly who _that_ was – it was their helpful hostess. He unbolted the door and slid open enough to allow the older woman to slip in and place the tray in the room.

"Would your wife like her clothes washed?" asked Nozomi, gesturing to the pile in the corner.

"Thanks, Nozomi… I think Ayame would appreciate some clean clothes." replied the sand nin.

Kankuro looked over the tray and was amazed by the selection of sushi to be had.

"Nozomi – you must have an excellent chef here… these are amazing!"

He was surprised to hear a small scratchy chuckle from the older woman.

"No chef here, Sakamoto-san… just me."

He shook his head slightly in amazement and replied, "Is there no end to your accomplishments, my dear lady?"

The older woman was clearly delighted by Kankuro's sincere flattery.

"Oh ho… you young charmer… Your wife is going to have to watch you closely I see."

He could hear Ino's small chuckle coming from the bathroom at their host's banter with the puppeteer.

_Naughty girl! She was listening into their conversation!_

The older woman gave him a wicked smile as she picked up the clothes to wash. He slipped some yen into Nozomi's hand as he escorted her back to the door. The older woman smiled broadly once again and bowed before she disappeared down the hallway.

Kankuro closed the door softly and slid the bolt across.

He smiled wryly… the old girl certainly had spunk. They had gotten into an energetic chat when he'd been making arrangements for a dinner tray. He imagined Ino would still maintain that type of spirit when she got to Nozomi's age. It was a heady thought growing old with a woman like that… Kankuro felt his groin stirring and groaned at his body's traitorous actions.

_It had been doing that a lot in the last few days… especially since Ino came into the picture in a big way…_

"Kan..Yukio… who was that?" called out a soft voice from the bathroom.

The puppeteer frowned briefly at Ino's slip. They were going to have to be real careful about that once they got to the Sound Village. He knew their lives were going to depend on them keeping in character.

"It was Nozomi… our hostess. She just dropped off a dinner tray for us." replied Kankuro and then continued. "I figured you would be too tired from traveling to go out tonight."

He walked over to the bathroom door and opened it a crack. His scanned through the steam and his eyes widened slightly at the vision in the bath.

_She looked incredible._

The beauty wasn't even looking in his direction, just floating on her back… naked as the day she was born, her silken blonde strands trailing behind her. The sand nin couldn't help but notice that _Kami_ had gifted her with one hell of an impressive rack.

Hell – the pervert in him noticed _that_ straight away!

_It wasn't fair… there they were bobbing around like two pieces of succulent fruit and he couldn't even give into the urge to test their firmness! _

Kankuro rested his forehead against the door frame, closed his eyes and prayed for strength. He drew in a deep breath, intending to walk away but abruptly stopped his exodus from the bathing room. The sand nin grinned wolfishly as an evil thought came bidden into his head.

_No – that was a low thing for even him to do…but he was a desperate man and he was hurting._

Even though he told her that he wouldn't touch her unless she took the first step – he wasn't above giving her a glimpse of temptation.

_He wanted her to have a taste of the agony he was feeling. Why should he be the only one suffering around here!_

"Oh sweetheart? Would you like me to bring some food in there for you?" called out Kankuro evilly from the doorway. Ino had settled back onto a ledge and her head was resting on the edge. She cracked open an eye and could barely make out the puppeteer through the steam.

_He was going to bring her food while she bathed? That sounded positively decadent!_

"That sounds wonderful, darling." purred Ino in a blissful voice.

She frowned slightly as she heard the bathing room door slide softly closed.

_Funny - she thought she'd also heard the puppeteer laugh._

-----------------------

He was **sooo** going to burn in Hell for this one!

_Feh – all's fair in love and war._

Kankuro checked to see if his robe was tied securely and slowly slid open the bathing room door. He walked slowly but purposely, careful not to drop the tray he held in his hand.

Ino was still lounging in the water, blissfully unaware with her eyes closed and didn't see the evil smile ghost the puppeteer's lips as he got closer to her.

"She certainly was a goddess!" Sighed the sand nin wistfully to himself.

_I could definitely get used to looking at that particular sight **every**__day of my life…_

The puppeteer grinned evilly to himself - he needed to time this just right…

Kankuro waited until he was close enough before he alerted her that the food was here.

"Honey, I brought you food…" crooned the sand nin in seductive tones.

Ino looked up at that exact moment and managed to catch a glimpse of what he was hiding under that silk robe of his…

Ino's eyes widened and she sat up.

_Oh dear lord! He wasn't wearing **anything** under that robe!_

She watched him crouch to put the tray down and the robe bunched around his hips. The silk slid up and caressed his thighs like the hands of a lover. Ino swallowed compulsively and tracked his movements with her avaricious eyes as his leg muscles rippled as he stood back up. She noticed he didn't walk but rather prowled around to the other side of the bath. That robe of his was pure evil! It didn't reveal too much but rather, enticed the viewer to investigate the hidden delights the robe managed to further enhance.

Ino's widened in a combination of shock and lust as the puppeteer stopped and leisurely undid the belt of his robe. She gulped, unable to turn away.

_She refused to be intimidated by this man!_

Kankuro watched her struggling with her inner demons in her little corner of the bath from under hooded lids. His deep emerald eyes glittered with desire and deep admiration for the blonde beauty.

_God! She was a stubborn minx!_

He slowly opened the robe, positioning his hands near the scarlet dragon as he shrugged the black gown off his shoulders, revealing his body to Ino from the waist up.

_Oh my God! He was HUGE!_

Her blue eyes went as round as saucers as she watched him nonchalantly released his hold on the front of the dragon robe and let it pool around his ankles before he stepped into the water.

_Everywhere!_

Ino was in her happy place. A bronzed God had just stepped into _her _bath.

A part of her knew that he did it just to get some type of reaction out of her but for some reason, she wasn't upset.

She watched mesmerized as that slice of masculine perfection disappeared into the water, inch by delicious inch.

Hell, she would never have guessed in a million years that someone like _him_would have a body like _that_! The surprises just seem to keep coming where he was concerned.

_That could be **hers** if she just said the word… _whispered that inner voice.

"Ayame? Ayame, sweetheart… Are you okay?" murmured a voice.

_Plink… Plink… Plink…_

"Honey? Your nose is bleeding… and you're drooling." continued that sultry voice.

"Huh?"

-----------------------

Kankuro bit his lip to prevent the evil smirk from emerging. It was secretly quite gratifying to know that she found him attractive. He couldn't have asked for a better reaction from the little vixen. As much as he was enjoying the show, he really needed to do something about her nose… the blood was starting to trickle at a steady pace now.

He picked up a wash cloth on the side of the bath and waded over to the blonde still reclining like a tasty morsel on a buffet.

_A carnal buffet for one!_ thought the puppeteer grinning wickedly.

"Ayame? Ayame, sweetheart… Are you okay?" murmured a voice.

_Plink… Plink… Plink…_

"Honey? Your nose is bleeding… and you're drooling." continued that sultry voice.

"Huh?"

Kankuro gently held the cloth to her nose as Ino slowly came out of her daze and looked at the spots of blood in the water.

The blonde pushed herself upright, snatched the proffered wash cloth and flushed deeply, looking everywhere except at the puppeteer's broad chest.

She'd never suffered a nosebleed before – much less over a guy!

Ino was feeling acutely embarrassed because she'd been caught red-handed staring at him. She felt the water rippling and knew that he had for the moment, retreated to a safe distance from her in the bath.

"Oh, sweetheart…" murmured the puppeteer in a seductive tone. "Would you like something to eat?"

Ino turned her dazed eyes towards the sand nin who was busy popping bite sized pieces of food into his mouth with gusto.

_Hell yes, she was hungry… but not for food!_

The blonde was having a tough time keeping focused on the topic at hand.

"Something to eat?" parroted the poor woman, still staring at that sinewy expanse of back rippling enticingly every time the man moved his arms.

"Yes, honey… I've got some delicious sushi here. If you want, I can feed you…" murmured the large man, trying very hard not to laugh at Ino's stunned facial expression.

"Huh… uh NO! Um, I mean… sweetie, its fine… I can feed myself." replied an increasingly flustered Ino.

_Shit no! I just got my nose to finally **stop** bleeding! You **that** close to me feeding me sushi is not a great idea!_

"Okay… suit yourself, sweetheart." shrugged the puppeteer.

He turned away from the young woman who was trying hard not to start drooling again.

If he started laughing at her dilemma, he knew she wouldn't hesitate in burying a kunai into his chest while he was sleeping!

Kankuro felt sorry for her though… it was obvious she was having a tough time dealing with the fact that she was physically attracted to him.

The sand nin made up a plate of food and said, "Sweetie, why don't you turn around and face the wall for a moment while I come over there with some food for you."

Ino's eyebrows raised into her hairline.

_He was taking pity on her! Well – there's a first time for everything!_

She would never have guessed in a million years that he was capable of compassion!

The young woman was surprised to feel herself nod and comply with the sand nin's suggestion, giving the delighted man an uninterrupted view of her back.

"_That cute little heart-shaped butt of hers looks amazing without the clothing hiding its perfection! So perky!"_ thought the man to himself, now mentally drooling at the sight before him.

The puppeteer felt a familiar stirring and sighed. He knew if he wasn't careful, he'd be the one sporting a nosebleed in a minute!

Kankuro redirected his efforts to putting an assortment of sushi on a tray that he thought she might like to try, not sure what she preferred.

The sand nin carefully shuffled over to the blonde still staring a hole in the screened wall and placed the sushi nearby.

Kankuro glanced at the still young woman, drawn irresistibly to her and couldn't resist the urge to step behind her to place his large hands on her shoulders.

Ino started to tremble with desire as soon as she felt his hands on her flesh.

He leaned close and murmured softly in her ear that the food was there and gently ruffled the little wisps of blonde hair trying to escape from the hasty bun Ino tied her hair up in.

She shivered slightly from the feel of the whisper of his warm breath against her.

The puppeteer stepped back, preparing to move away from her, when he suddenly changed his mind and gently leaned down to softly place his lips at the nape of her neck before finally turning to wade back to the tray of sushi waiting for him.

Ino felt her eyes flicker open in surprise at the gentle pressure of his firm lips at the base of her neck, only to close them in disappointment as she felt the rippling of the water around her to signify that he had moved away.

A single tear slid down her cheek as she mourned the situation that was of her own choosing, knowing that he wouldn't push for more than that small telling moment of weakness.

_She could have it all if she just said the word…_

-----------------------

Kankuro suddenly felt unaccountably trapped in a carnal private hell after he had given into that small temptation to kiss her. Her bare flesh had felt like the softest of silks under his palms and her freshly washed hair had smelt like cherry blossoms in the springtime.

A part of him wanted to taste her sweetness further but he dared not break his agreement with the beautiful blonde.

_He'd given his word and he'd been damned if he was going to break his promise!_

He had planned to continue to tease her but now that plan seemed a little mean spirited in light of their present situation.

There was just no use playing the game with her if there was no hint of a reward at the end.

Kankuro sighed and finished his meal, barely tasting the delicious morsels of fish placed delicately on perfect portions of rice.

The puppeteer heaved a heavy sigh of remorse, feeling oddly empty inside and grabbed the nearby soap, determined to finish up as quickly as he could. The sooner he put distance between them, the better he would feel.

Ino heard the sand nin's deep and melancholy sigh and wondered at its source. The blonde peeked over her shoulder at Kankuro to see that he had his back to her.

"_Surely there was no harm in just looking…" _thought the curious woman to herself.

She turned to watch the bi-play of his muscles as they rippled under the skin, bunching and relaxing as he directed his attentions to washing his hair.

She sat down on her perch, fascinated by the sheer beauty of the man in the bath.

_It was sad, really… she was this bundle of bravado the majority of the time but the first hint of a possible threat to her virginity, she running for the hills! She wasn't kidding herself in that he posed a serious threat to that particular state of her life!_

Ino watched him slide the washcloth over his water slicked flesh, licking her suddenly bone-dry lips as she followed the path of the cloth before it disappeared under the water.

She heard a soft moan echo in the sultry silence of the bath house and vaguely acknowledged that it came from her.

She didn't know it but the sound had condemned her by telling him frankly of her secret desire for him…

----------------------

The atmosphere in the bathing room changed in that moment when he heard that softly uttered moan. Kankuro, his back to the blonde woman in the bath with him, swiftly realized that he had an interested audience of one studying his movements.

_So, she wasn't as unaffected as she pretended to be, heh? Well – if she likes to watch so much, then I will give her what she wants…_

His good humor restored, he silently vowed that he would give a special show that she wouldn't soon forget!

With his back still to her, the puppeteer's eyes smoldered with suppressed passion as he continued to slide the soft cloth over his suddenly heated flesh. Now he knew she was following his actions with those brilliant baby blues of hers, he was going to leave an impression on her that she wouldn't soon forget in a hurry!

Ino watched with bated breath as the sand nin's movements became more seductive and carnal. She felt her breath hitch in her throat and her heart beat start to rocket as she continued to follow those large capable hands of his sliding over his body. The young woman swallowed convulsively and wondered how his skin would feel with _her_ hands roaming over that rock hard body of his. She kept following his hands as they disappeared under the surface of the water, only to return to distribute more soap onto his dark flesh. Ino now openly stared at the sand nin as he immersed his body under the surface of the water, only to see him break the surface moments later, flinging his head back and exposing the corded muscles on his neck.

_Oh my god!_

Ino bit back another soft moan and clenched her thighs together, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed by this feeling of _heat_ burning through her… _this gnawing craving that only he could satisfy…_

Kankuro heard the telltale sound that she was trying so hard to hold back and knew as enjoyable as this was – he needed to stop soon or he was going to go over there and break a promise to a certain blonde…

_If he did that – he'd feel like a low bastard afterwards… but he'd die a happy man._

-----------------------

Ino frowned slightly as she saw that the puppeteer was almost done washing.

"_No! Don't stop!"_ begged the blonde silently.

_Damnit… she was all frustrated and she now had this burning need deep inside. _

The worst thing was, she knew what she wanted but she was too proud to ask him to take the ache away. She was caught in the trap and she knew it.

She watched him wade over to the side of the bathing pool and place the soap and washcloth down.

Her eyes followed his figure as he walked towards the steps to make his exit.

"_NOOOO! Don't leave!" _whined a little voice inside Ino.

Ino watched Kankuro's finely toned butt flex as he ascended the steps and the muscles tightened as he bent over to retrieve a towel.

He grinned wolfishly as he heard the indrawn gasp when he picked up the towel.

_The poor girl was in the grips of arousal but she wasn't sure what to do about it! He sure as hell wasn't going to give her clues. She's a smart girl – she'll figure it out!_

He quickly dried himself off, smirking every so often when he heard the occasional anguished noise come from his enraptured voyeur.

He draped his towel around his neck, giving Ino an undivided view of his well-honed body while he bent to retrieve his black gown still pooled at the top of the stairs.

Shrugging it on, he quickly belted it before she realized that her hungry stares were making quite an impression on him as well.

Kankuro finally turned in her direction and watched with a raised eyebrow as she quickly sunk down into the water up to her neck.

She wasn't kidding him! He could see the telltale flush travel from her heated face down under the water's surface

The sand nin gathered up his empty dishes and walked over to Ino's location, dropping down to one knee behind the blushing blonde.

"Sweetheart, you really should eat something. It's very good!" murmured the puppeteer into the young woman's ear.

He watched her swallow convulsively and nod in response.

Kankuro stood back up and walked over to the door, feeling Ino track his path with her heated stare.

Ino was puzzled when he paused in the doorway, then heard him say, "Well, I'm heading off to bed… it's been a long day. Don't stay too long in the bath, will you honey?"

She was relieved to finally see him walk into the other room.

"If there's anything you need, darling… be sure to ask, hmmm?" crooned the puppeteer and then added, "Oh… sweetie… one more thing you should know that I neglected to mention. I prefer to sleep naked…"

"_Oh Lord!" _groaned Ino silently.

_That was one image she could have done without tonight! _

_Plink… Plink… Plink…_

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" muttered the blonde under her breath as she heard his deep sexy chuckle disappear into the bedroom.

She really needed to either do something about these nosebleeds or something about that man in the other room taunting her!

She had a feeling that it was going to be a long night.

Ino wasn't too sure how much longer she could keep those desires she secretly harbored for him at bay…


	7. Round Seven:Some Unfriendly Competition

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to the reviewers and my readers. You inspire me to great new heights and greater perversions! I don't see you little fiends complaining too much.

Special thanks to **Judo Creature **for doing the beta on the new chapter and to **Oxygen Pirate** for providing the mental cattle prod.

I always enjoy hearing your thoughts and reviews on the latest chapter but don't feel the pressure to leave one.

I love writing fan fiction. I don't need to withhold chapters in exchange for your reviews to get a warm fuzzy feeling.

Please be sure to check my Author's profile page for story updates if you curious when the latest chapters will be out.

Yes, I know I have kept you little perverts waiting for the latest round.

The sad reality of this situation is that I am more concerned about delivering the readers a chapter worthy of the wait. We're all about quality in the Katsuyo literary den of iniquities. I think my perverted muse and I rose to the challenge this time around.

**Responses to reviews:**

**Ukiyo–e:** Yes, I am evil! I will freely admit to it. I'm truly flattered – coming from you, that's quite the compliment. It's always exciting to get a review from an author that you read and admire.

**Teh Shadow of teh Smex:** It does my fragile little ego much good to hear from a fellow author whose works I also much admire. Yes, these two are driving each other nuts but that just makes them more fun to watch!

**Kankuro882:** Yes - I am indeed female. I would hate to cause you unnecessary mental scarring over that particular question. XD

I wish I could claim intimate knowledge of Kankuro's body but sadly I can not. I'm just a pervert with an above average attention to detail.

**Blaze da dragon:** I'm sorry to hear about your little drinking problem. (Author tries hard to hide evil smirk.) A small word of warning… I wouldn't want to eat or drink anything while you are reading this chapter...

You've been checking daily since round four, hmm? I'm thrilled to hear that one of my regular readers is craving more… I will try to update quicker next time.

**ThMau:** Your perverted mind _just _came out?! XD

I pretty much write whatever the muse whispers into my ear late at night. It's a safe bet at this point to assume that there will be a lemon showing up in the future.

**Mika-chan:** You folks wouldn't keep dropping in to read my naughty little tale if it wasn't funny in a sick and perverted way!

**Sona:** I will update as soon as I am happy with the new chapter. It's the best I can do – I won't post something I think is less than stellar.

The latest round of literary debauchery is inspired by the song _"Where I end and you begin" _by Radiohead.

Jealousy has made her entrance as a key player.

The rating has been changed to "mature" and the usual warnings apply – language, violence and blatant suggestions of a sexual nature are mentioned.

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It's a good thing. You could just imagine what I would be doing with the characters…

**Round 7 – Some Unfriendly Competition**

They had developed a little routine since that first night of cohabitation at the Lotus Blossom Inn. They would check into their room at the inn, find a restaurant to go eat and spend the rest of the evening flirting outrageously with each other.

They would then spend the rest of the evening wandering the village, holding hands and perusing the wares to be found at the market before returning back to their room.

They looked and acted like the young lovers they were pretending to be…

The strange thing was that the illusion didn't end at the door like the first night.

If anything, that first night turned out to be a turning point in their relationship.

Kankuro couldn't figure out what was different but he sensed that Ino had taken a step in resolving some of her fears in regards to her feelings towards him.

He was secretly relieved that the old Ino with the wrought iron backbone was back. Kankuro caught glimpse of the fiery vixen within re-immerging when she had woken up the next morning with him, having survived the experience unmolested.

He was hell-bent on keeping his promise to her but watching her hips sway invitingly every night as she walked ahead of him into their room was doing evil things to his perverted brain.

So far, he had mentally taken her up against a wall, sitting on the bathroom counter with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist (his personal favorite), her hands braced up against the white tiles in the shower and of course, in every bed they had shared as a "loving couple" – several times and in many creative positions that would rival those found in the Karma Sutra.

Once inside the privacy of their room, Kankuro would lie back against the soft pillows, reclining lazily on the muted bed covers, watching her with hungry veiled eyes as she retreated into the bathroom to get changed.

He'd always be in bed turned on his side with the bed linen pooled around the lower part of his torso, pretending to sleep when she finally emerged from the bathroom.

What she didn't know was that he always knew when she slipped beneath the cool sheets beside him.

Her light touches on his body and wistful sighs before she eventually succumbed to the sweet arms of Morpheus were driving him nuts.

Kankuro felt himself getting aroused at the memories of waking up with her wrapped around his large frame like a piece of wild ivy, with her skimpy nightgown riding high on her thigh.

She was temptation and he was trying his best to resist it.

-----------------------

_Five days later…_

The puppeteer had woken up in a foul mood – his little fantasies of perverted ecstasy weren't satisfying his secret desires anymore.

Four nights spent in the same bed with a sexy woman hanging off his naked torso was slowly eroding his self control and the fragile rein he had on his temper. He was now convinced that he had something seriously heinous to the gods in a previous life to go through this exquisite torture every morning.

_You're killing me, Ino! _

The sand nin had spent this morning locked in a bathroom in the shower for half an hour, willing the freezing needles to get rid of his raging erection.

Kankuro had even been forced to take care of the problem when the cold shower had proved futile but nothing could get rid him of the craving he still had to taste Ino.

He had been extremely proud of his endeavors to keep his hands from exploring her supple flesh but it was taking its toll.

Last night was the worst erotic hell he'd ever experienced. She'd done something different that left him unable to sleep and burning up with need.

The blonde had draped her leg across his thigh in the middle of the night as per usual but she had kept him aroused with the feel of her hand roaming all over his body. It was the occasional husky little whimper she murmured in her sleep that made it impossible to sleep. He honestly thought he was going to lose it when she had softly moaned his name in the early hours of the morning.

"_I sooo need to get laid!"_ grumbled the sand nin to himself.

Kankuro made a silent pact with himself then and there that once they finally arrived at the Sound Village; he was going to find some way to relieve his sexual frustration - with or without Ino's participation.

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Ino was experiencing some internal struggles of her own.

She watched the dark brooding puppeteer beside her prowl down the road in silence, in awe of the latent power emanating out of the man.

The young woman was genuinely perplexed at the enigma that was Kankuro.

Whenever they ventured forth throughout the village they stayed at, she saw glimpses of different aspects of his personality.

He was a complex mix of light and dark.

So far she had just seen the light. The outrageous flirt at dinner, the considerate voyeur who kept his distance in the room at night and the dormant lover who lurked under the surface… she liked them all.

Ino found herself drawn to the other side of his personality though… the murky side that he kept firmly under wraps.

When they had first met, she had been given a small taste of his sarcasm, the biting insight and the sensual teasing but lately, she had been secretly yearning to see the man in the full grip of that dark nature.

She wanted to know what this man would be like around her in stark possessive and green-eyed jealous glory.

Would he explode in a jealous rage and drag her off somewhere to imprint himself onto her flesh against some dark alley wall or would he coolly eliminate the competition before promising her a sensual retribution at a later time in the privacy of their room?

If she was honest with herself, she really wanted to see the man lose control in the worst way and so far, he was still holding himself in check.

Ino would swallow her tongue rather than admit to the sand nin that she enjoyed wrapping her legs around the large man and hear him struggle with his inner demons late at night.

Last night, she had finally succumbed to the urge to allow her hands to roam over that muscular terrain of his. It had been a revelation, watching the muscles twitch under the surface of that taut silken bronzed skin of his.

She had made up her mind the morning she found herself waking up unmolested in the puppeteer's bed that she badly wanted a taste of what Kankuro was offering.

She had never known a man who would keep a vow like that in the state he had been in… yes, the man was a mystery and best of all - he was hers if she just said the word.

It was just a question of if and when she was brave enough to take the man up on his offer…

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They would be finally in the Sound Village by his estimation within a couple of hours.

The sand nin was careful to keep Ino by his side as he noted several unsavory types checking out _his _woman on the road to their final destination. The puppeteer didn't like it – not one little bit! The only perverted male who would be looking at and sampling her luscious curves and hollows was going to be him!

Kankuro knew he was sounding jealous but he couldn't help it. She had slipped further under his skin with each passing moment he spent in her company, imbedding her presence into his mind.

Kankuro looked over at his blonde traveling companion under hooded lashes. He didn't want her to know that he couldn't stop thinking about her.

_The last thing I need to hear from Ino right now is her teasing me about this…_

The long days of traveling helped to keep him focused on their mission.

He would mentally run through meticulously detailed list of things they needed to do once they were deep within Orochimaru's old stomping grounds.

It was becoming a constant mantra that he continuously loop around in his mind in an effort to stop himself from acting impulsively.

He normally wasn't an impulsive person but Ino had a way of rubbing some of her bad habits off onto people.

A soft voice gently interrupted his inner musings then.

_Speaking of the she-devil… she speaks._

"Yukio?" began the sultry voice, only to stutter out.

He could hear her nervousness and looked over at the bowed head of his object of unrequited desire.

Kankuro stopped walking and stepped closer to the blonde, gathering her close to him.

He had a feeling that she needed to say something of a serious nature to him and he didn't want them to be overheard… just in case.

"Ayame, what's wrong? If you're concerned about your precious virginity…don't worry. I am not about to let one of these bastards take it before I get your answer," growled the puppeteer into her ear.

Ino softly chuckled at that comment.

_As if anyone would be game enough to take on the large bastard… It was tantamount to signing their death warrant and they both knew that. He wasn't going to give up on his claim until he got her answer._

"I'm scared. We haven't reached the village yet and already I have this urge to run in the opposite direction," whispered the blonde in a hushed tone.

"It will be fine, Ayame. I promise. I will get us back to Konoha in one piece after we get what we need here," replied the sand nin lightly stroking her hair in reassurance.

Ino looked deeply into the sand nin's eyes and nodded slowly in response to Kankuro's words, satisfied by the sincerity she saw within those dark depths.

_Yes, it would be foolish to try and take on this man. She would be safe with him at her side. The only thing that bothered her was whether the man was going to safe around her._

_She wasn't so sure anymore._

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Ino stuck to the puppeteer like glue. She was many things but ignorant of the dangers omnipresent around this particular place wasn't one of them.

The blonde noticed an ominous aura of danger slip over the puppeteer once they caught sight of the sound village up ahead.

It was obvious from the moment they walked through the village gates that this place had seedier spots than the sand village and that was saying something!

Some of the things that Kankuro mentioned during their little walks at night led her to believe that the puppeteer was well acquainted with the darker underbelly that his village had to offer.

Strangely enough, it didn't bother her too much. It just fed her need to explore that side of him further.

When it finally came time to experience the pleasures of the flesh, she would rather have a man who knew what he was doing than a saint. Kankuro always gave her that impression that she would never leave feeling disappointed.

_Unable to walk for a week? Yes – she could see that._

The blonde's eyes darted around the streets as they walked down the main street, mentally cataloging every dark alley and seedy bar for future reference.

She noted the way some of the men would boldly look at her, only to avert their eyes at the simmering killing look they received from the large sand nin possessively holding her.

Ino felt safe with his muscular arm casually draped around her waist and knew that only someone with a death wish would dare to approach Kankuro while he was in this mood.

The blonde glanced up at the dangerous man beside her and gave a small sly smile.

The puppeteer caught sight of her smile and wondered what had prompted it.

It was a good thing that they would be at the inn soon. He was feeling the strain from keeping his jealous rage in check every time some guy happened to give Ino _that_ look.

"Yukio, how much farther is this Inn we will be staying in? I don't think I can handle listening to you grind your teeth down to bloody stumps," uttered the blonde quietly, her amusement at his present predicament apparent in her voice.

Kankuro narrowed his dark eyes at the woman at his side. He wasn't surprised to know that she thought this situation was hilarious – she would.

This overwhelming urge to annihilate the supposed competition didn't sit well with him at all. Total destruction was Gaara's department… not his.

"It's just up the road, Ayame. My teeth will survive the trip," replied Kankuro in a sour tone.

Silently cursing the Hokage, the mission and the little vixen walking beside him for causing this inconvenience in the first place, the puppeteer continued down the main street.

_He needed another cold shower before he locked Ino in their room to go and get blind rotten drunk!_

---------------------------------

Kankuro gave a heartfelt sigh of relief when they finally got settled into their room. He had initially been worried that they would be staying in a slum of an establishment but he should have had more faith in the Hokage's ability to find a decent place to stay – even in a place rife with riff-raff as the Sound Village.

He shrugged off the large pack containing his summoning scrolls for his battle puppets and placed them against the closet against the wall.

The puppeteer gave the soft bed a longing glance before finally walking over to sit on the edge.

The stress of keeping the leash firmly in place on his temper was taking its toll finally and he was suddenly feeling more exhausted than he had ever felt in his life.

He honestly didn't know how Ino's team-mates put up with the woman's company on missions. It was obvious to him that she was more trouble than she was worth.

He still couldn't believe how many unsavory types had crawled out of the wood work to check her out as they walked past.

Kankuro lifted his head slightly when he heard a strange coming from the young woman in the bathroom and looked in disbelief at the bathroom door.

_She caused this chaos and she's in there **singing**?!_

And that was when the first crack in Kankuro's control appeared.

"Yukio, how about we go out tonight? I would love to check out the nightlife!" exclaimed the blonde woman, emerging from the bathroom having changed into a dress that didn't leave a lot to the imagination.

Ino caught the look and the pulsing vein at the puppeteer's temple and had a feeling that the dam on that temper of his was about to break loose. She was right.

It was too much for the man to take.

_There was no way in Hell he was letting her out of this room dressed like that, offering her goodies to strangers and still denying him!_

Ino watched the man snatch up his silk robe from his duffel bag and stalk over to the bathroom. She reached out and touched his chest as he tried to walk past her, only to have the sand nin lean down and softly growl, "Ayame - unless you want to be thrown on the bed and be ravished within an inch of your life, I would suggest you get changed into something less tempting and stay in this room."

Ino watched the man stalk into the bathroom in all his angry glory and frowned at his retreating back before he slammed the door behind him.

_Who the hell did he think he was? He had no right to be so high-handed and utilitarian like that!_

She heard the shower go on and walked over to her bag to collect her small bag and shoes.

A part of Ino recognized that she was about to do something that promised some major retribution later but she was too mad with the puppeteer's attitude to give a shit.

Using her middle finger to effectively show the bathroom door what she thought of Kankuro's suggestion, she walked over to the door and quietly slipped through, sliding it shut behind her.

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_Shit! There was absolutely no need for him to act like an ass to her. She had a right to want to go out and wear what she wanted… that dress did look sexy as hell on her._

Kankuro sighed at the feelings of remorse swirling in his head as he finished up his shower and decided that he was going to make it up to the blonde woman as soon as he got dressed.

He rinsed off the remainder of the soap off his slick torso and decided that he would try to make amends to her for his foul disposition.

The hostess had given him a list of some decent places that he could take his little vixen… maybe she would enjoy that.

He shut off the shower and quickly draped a towel around his waist, grabbing another to dry his shaggy mop of brunette hair.

He was still toweling his hair as he walked out of the bathroom and noticed something or rather someone missing immediately.

Ino was nowhere to be seen and already the room felt as though the life force had been sucked out of it.

A sense of unease settled into the pit of his stomach and refused to let go. Kankuro knew the blonde would chew him out later for tossing the damp towel onto their bed but he had a horrible feeling that if he didn't hurry and put on some clothes, Ino may get into some trouble that she won't be able to charm her way out.

The puppeteer prowled over to the bags still packed on the floor and dug out some fresh clothes.

He didn't care that his hair was still wet in areas. He just knew that if anything happened to her, that there was no way he was going to forgive himself.

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_She could cheerfully wring that bad tempered bastard's neck. She just wished she knew what bug crawled up the man's ass to make him so foul-tempered._

Ino looked down at her dress and gave it a critical once over. She didn't know why he took offense over it. It was the cutest thing and Ino knew for a fact that it suited her figure to perfection.

_No – her dress was divine and cost her a small fortune, even on sale! The puppeteer clearly had issues!_

The young woman was too busy reminiscing about the day she beat that whey faced brunette to the frock on the 50 off rack when she felt a large shadow looming over her.

She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge when a large beefy hand grabbed hold of her small wrist from behind, bruising the delicate skin.

One clear thought registered in Ino's head before she turned around to face the man stupid enough to lay a hand on her.

_It wasn't Kankuro touching her. The times he had touched her in the past, he'd **never **bruised her! This bastard was dead meat!_

The large barrel chested man had the audacity to slowly and rudely run his small beady eyes over her figure leisurely. Ino's eyes narrowed at this disgusting creature and felt her volatile temper flare into action.

"I suggest you unhand me before things get real ugly, Mister. I guarantee that you are not going to enjoy meeting my husband once he discovers I'm missing from our room," hissed Ino in a glacial tone to her captor.

The man grinned obscenely at her, displaying a mouth missing more than a few teeth and pulled the young woman closer.

"Sweetheart, you're either bluffing or your man is useless in the sack. You don't look married to me…" replied the man in a speculative tone.

Ino really didn't like where this was heading… The man was right though, damn his hide. She didn't have that glow about her. _Shit._

The man was taken aback slightly when Ino leaned in and growled in a furious voice, "Mister, you are seriously making a huge mistake. This is your last warning for you to unhand me before my husband finds us."

It was a mistake. The big brute took offense to the blonde's angry ultimatum. He jerked her wrist roughly, marking the skin with more bruises before barking, "Damn, you're a pushy little bitch. It's gonna be a pleasure to break your spirit after I fuck the living daylights outta you. This _husband_ of yours don't scare me!"

Ino looked up and raised a delicately arched eyebrow before replying, "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

The air around the couple in front of the inn suddenly got glacial as strong and powerful fingers closed around the man's neck, effectively cutting the man's oxygen supply off to his brain.

"Hi, sweetheart," replied Ino sweetly to the furious sand nin dangling the struggling man by the throat.

Kankuro's eyes glistened with killing intent as he watched the blonde rubbing the badly bruised wrist that his prey just released.

"Give me a reason not to kill him now, Ayame…" muttered the furious man in a murderous tone.

"P-please lady… I w-was kidding… call him off," choked out the large man starting to turn a little blue in the face.

Ino gave the pathetic creature dangling in Kankuro's outstretched hand like a freshly plucked chicken a cursory glance before sauntering over to the puppeteer and whispering something in the man's ear.

The man didn't know what the blonde had said to his jailer but he sure as hell wasn't going to stick around and allow him to change his mind.

All he knew was that the demonic man had decided to release the death grip on his throat, dropping him like a stone and it had given him the perfect opportunity to escape while he had the chance.

As he scurried down the road, he didn't see the young woman slide her hand along his muscular arm in a lingering caress before resting her head up against his side and quietly murmur in a cheerful voice, "Honey, there is no way you are taking me out to dinner dressed in those old sweatpants."

Kankuro felt his grin widen as he felt her lean into him and he replied, "I'm sure you can pick out something suitable for me to wear once we get back to our room."

--------------------------------

Kankuro watched her walk in ahead of him into their room. He was still thinking about the scene he came across in front of the inn.

He was still mad at her but that didn't prevent him from feeling grudging admiration for her.

Ino had been clearly outclassed but that still didn't stop her from erupting into full glorious virago mode.

This woman wasn't scared of anything and that had always impressed the hell out of him with her.

He hadn't planned to let that barrel chested weasel loose, especially after what he had threatened to do to her but his blonde vixen was very persuasive.

Of course, what Ino had promised him was far more interesting than the prospect of killing the scum that touched her and having to dispose of the body.

It was times like these that he wished he did have Gaara's unique abilities.

An outraged voice brought his attention back to the present. The young woman had grabbed the damp towel and thrown it into the bathroom.

"Yukio, you bastard. Your damp towel is on my side of the bed!" grumbled the blonde.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I was more concerned about making sure you were in one piece," replied the puppeteer with a sexy smile on his lips.

Kankuro leaned up against the closed room door and folded his arms across his broad chest.

"You mentioned that you would give me a reward if I released that scum. I'm intrigued as to how you plan to do that, darling," murmured the large man, raising an eyebrow.

He watched Ino turn slightly at his comment and walk seductively over to him lounging against the room door.

Kankuro couldn't help it. The smile on his face got wider as he saw some very perverted thoughts flashing through the little vixen's eyes.

She stopped in front of him, grabbed hold of his folded arms and proceeded to drape her scantily clad form around his torso.

The puppeteer unfolded his arms, placing a fingertip of one hand onto the blonde's parted lips before wrapping his free arm around her waist.

"You know you're gorgeous…you don't need me to tell you that. I still want you in the worst way possible but this doesn't change the situation between us. You owe me an answer soon, sweetheart," murmured the sand nin, before groaning softly in arousal as she licked the offending finger on her lips in response to his comment.

Ino was secretly enjoying the power she had over this man. He was a dangerous S.O.B. but he was all hers and he would never do anything to hurt her.

"Move the finger or lose it, big boy," warned the young woman before leaning in to capture Kankuro's firm lips.

He didn't need to be told twice. He quickly removed his hand and wrapped it around her torso, joining its twin in the endeavor to bring the woman closer to him.

The sand nin felt her arms twine around the back of neck, deepening the kiss.

_Damn he missed the feel of her lips on his! He was enjoying this reward of hers already!_

Kankuro slid one hand up to gentle cradle the back of her head as he felt her tongue softly slip into his mouth.

_This was nice but having her mouth closer for him to kiss would be better…_

He tightened his grip around her small torso and hauled her up higher onto his waist, feeling her deepen the kiss with the new position.

_Ahhh… much, much better._

Kankuro felt her legs wrap tightly around his waist then and he could feel his self-control slipping.

_He had fantasized about her doing this to him in the throes of a frenzied coupling many a time… but the reality of that move alone totally blew his mind._

_Kami! He wanted to pull his pants down so badly and plunge into her waiting heat._

Her hips grinding suggestively against him wasn't helping him to keep his promise but he'd be damned to give in now, just when he was so close to his goal.

He still wanted her on his terms.

Kankuro enjoyed her attentions immensely but he didn't want to remain a passive participant in this long overdue sensual exploration. His tongue soon joined hers as they continued to tease each other pressed up against the door.

He tore his mouth away from hers and decided that he would give her something to remember this moment. It would also act as an effective deterrent against her being propositioned by another man in the foreseeable future.

"K-Yukio! Oh Kami…." groaned the blonde, closing her eyes in bliss as she felt his lips and teeth explore the column of her neck.

Her fingernails dug into the firm flesh of his shoulders as he deepened the pressure of his gentle suction on her neck before finally pulling away to admire his handiwork.

Ino's eyes glittered with awakened arousal and her lips were swollen from his kisses.

His own eyes narrowed as he gently slid her back down on the ground and felt the sting of the little puncture marks left behind by her nails.

_If she was like this over one little kiss, he knew his back was in serious danger of being shredded… He could hardly wait!_

Ino watched the puppeteer step away from her then and walk over to his bag to find something suitable to wear for dinner.

She was still feeling weak in the knees from his kisses. The blonde had sensed that he had wanted to take her up against the door, but he still resisted.

Ino turned dazed eyes to the man prominently in her mind as he started talking.

"Ayame, as much as I love you in that dress… you may want to wear something a little…warmer. It's gonna get cool tonight," murmured Kankuro, pinning her with a heated gaze before disappearing into the bathroom once more.

"_Hah! …as if I would get cold around you!"_ thought the young woman with a small smirk as she moved to find something else to wear.

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The restaurant was everything the hostess at the inn had promised but the puppeteer could tell that Ino wasn't impressed by the romantic glow of the place.

She was still mad at him and he wasn't helping the situation with his lingering looks to admire his work.

Kankuro grinned wickedly as he remembered the scene that met him as he exited the bathroom.

She really was glorious when she was mad at him and that moment had been no exception.

Ino had narrowed those baby blues at him and accused him of deliberately marking her.

Of course, he didn't help the situation much when he had shrugged and told her the fat creep had been right. She didn't look like a claimed woman, so he felt he had to rectify the situation.

The puppeteer chuckled evilly under his breath as he perused the menu and watched Ino's eyes narrow dangerously.

He had noticed though that she kept touching it periodically and that wasn't helping him much. It just made him even more possessive of her.

Kankuro reached across the dimly lit table and laid tender fingers on the large love bruise displayed prominently on the blonde's neck.

"You certainly weren't upset about it at the time," murmured the large man, gently caressing the spot.

"Go to hell!" growled Ino in a glacial tone.

Her comment only amused him more.

"Only if you come with me, sweetheart," drawled Kankuro in a sexy voice.

Ino was about to make a scathing remark when they were interrupted by the timely arrival of their waitress.

The puppeteer moved away from her to place his order but she knew from the look in his eyes, that this conversation was going to be continued sometime in the future.

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Ino splashed more cold water onto her face and dabbed at the hickey on her neck with a damp tissue.

The blonde almost snarled in frustration when she glanced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and noticed that getting the spot wet only made it look worse.

She didn't give a shit if the man had a legitimate point. The fact of the matter is that she now had this huge bruise on her throat to match the ones on her wrist.

Ino couldn't help but notice how smug the bastard had become as the restaurant got more crowded and the hour got later.

Men would casually look over to their table, glance at the fresh bruises before taking note of the self-satisfied smirk on Kankuro's face and promptly leave the general vicinity swiftly.

Well, the hateful male was right in one respect. No man with common sense and a strong desire for self-preservation was going to approach her now.

Ino braced her hands against the sink as she bowed her head.

_Had she been fighting the inevitable all this time? These intense and overwhelming emotions he made her feel… It was certainly beginning to look like it…_

She looked up at her reflection and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser.

Well, she couldn't hide in here forever… she wasn't a coward.

The sooner she went back to their table and put the smarmy bastard in his place, the better she would feel.

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Kankuro drummed his fingers idly on the table, waiting for the lovely Ino to come back from the bathroom.

He knew what she was doing and was quietly amused by it. She was regrouping.

It had been awhile since she had resorted to this particular tactic but in a way, it was refreshing to see the old sexual tension return between them.

It made him strangely hopeful about the rest of the evening.

He grinned wolfishly and took a sip of the sake he ordered as he waited eagerly for her to come back to him.

"You're wasting your time with that milk and water blonde, big boy… There's no way a woman like her could handle a man like you," murmured a soft sultry voice.

Kankuro looked up in mild interest to take in the willowy brunette standing beside the table. He could tell by the look in her eye that she wasn't adverse to the idea of handling him herself.

She was beautiful – there was no denying that fact. If he hadn't decided that he wanted Ino so badly, he would have been tempted to take what she was offering.

_She was wrong though… he didn't think he was wasting his time with the little vixen. The kiss they shared in their room was proof of that! It definitely had held the promise of more to come…_

Even the way this woman used the same endearment as Ino did earlier, didn't have the same effect. He had badly wanted to throw the blonde onto the bed and give it to her hard and deep, whereas the brunette just made him mildly amused.

_Hell – she was more than welcome to try to tantalize him but she was going to have tough competition in the form of Ino._

He picked up his sake cup, took a small sip and casually replied, "As tempting as your offer is… I think I will take my chances with the – as you charmingly put it, the milk and water blonde. She hasn't proven to be boring so far…"

The brunette leaned down then and placed her hands on the table next to him. She gave him an impressive display of her wares as she whispered seductively, "It's a pity that you want to stick with the Swiss Miss. I would have taken you to heaven and back…well, the offer is still there for later when she turns you down."

Kankuro took another sip of his sake and tried to keep the unholy grin from spreading across his face as he watched the Swiss Miss stalk over to the table and yank the pretty brunette forcibly away from the table by the roots of her hair.

The poor woman hadn't seen the attack coming…

_My – if he hadn't known any better… he would have said that his blonde beauty was gloriously green-eyed with jealousy…_

He didn't know how much she had overheard but by the look of the fury on Ino's face… he guessed that she had heard enough to assess the young woman was unwelcome competition.

He continued to sip his sake as he watched the blonde dragging the now screaming young woman back into the bathroom with her.

_She was breathtaking… she really was. _

Kankuro ignored the concerned looks as gurgled shrieks echoed from the depths of the women's room.

The sand nin caught the attention of the waitress and requested their check as well as another bottle of sake while he waited for his little virago to get it all out of her system.

Oh, he knew that he was next after she had finished doing her worst to the poor hapless brunette but he wasn't too worried.

"Oh Kami! Please… someone help me… this bitch is crazy!" wailed a distraught voice from the restroom only to hear the noise replaced with odd gurgling sounds once more and an ominous flush.

------------------------------

Ino reapplied her lipstick and soothed a stray hair back in place. She lovingly stroked the hickey in triumph, ignoring the muffled moans coming from one of the stalls.

_One down… one to go._

She hadn't forgotten about the smirking conceited louse sitting at the table.

Ino had been gratified to hear the puppeteer turn the young woman down but there was no way in hell she was now going to give the man any opportunity to walk away or change his mind.

She had made a tactical error in thinking no other woman would want Kankuro but it was easy to correct.

Ino wasn't stupid enough to make the same mistake again.

The blonde took one final look at her reflection before walking over to the door.

She frowned as she heard the pitiful little whimpers still coming from the stall. A part of her was tempted to go over there and kick her in the ribs again but knew that it would only cause the silly bitch to moan louder from the pain.

She sighed dramatically before stepping out of the bathroom.

_The stupid cow didn't know lucky she was to be alive! She's fortunate that the bastard turned her down… it would have turned out a lot worse if he had taken her offer._

------------------------------

The puppeteer was finishing up his cup of sake when he saw his little vixen finally emerge from the bathroom.

He watched her eyes narrow when she caught sight of him sitting at the table and knew that his time had finally come.

_I can hardly wait, beautiful!_

Kankuro grinned wickedly as she stalked over to their table, ignoring the staff and restaurant patrons who scurried out of her way.

"What are you grinning about?" growled the blonde in a sour tone as she sat down.

"You. So I'm curious, sweetheart… is the poor girl still breathing?" asked the large man in a deceptively casual tone.

"Barely… she has you to thank for that. It was fortunate that you turned her down," hissed Ino in an undertone.

"Yes… lucky for her. I bet she's not thinking that right now though," replied Kankuro.

"No woman takes my man…" growled the blonde.

He was overjoyed at that possessive tone of hers and wanted to howl with joy but he wasn't ready to let her off the hook just yet…

"Ahhh, Ayame… there's the rub. I'm not _your_ man…yet. I'm fair game unless you are prepared to stake your claim," purred Kankuro, immensely enjoying the look of horror dawning on the young woman's face.

_Oh Kami… he was right. _

"It seems that you have a little dilemma on your hands… doesn't it, darling?" murmured the puppeteer, this time with a serious edge to his voice.

Kankuro leaned over the table then, slid a large hand through her flaxen locks and whispered very softly in her ear, "I give you fair warning if you do decide to stake your claim, Ino. Once you belong to me, I'm not planning to give you up. One taste of you is never going to be enough for me."

Ino watched as the large man settled back into his seat across from her and saw his dark eyes smolder with desire for her.

_He wanted her… that still had not changed. The fact that he used her real name in this one instance told her very clearly that she wouldn't be able to put him aside so casually once this mission was over._

This wasn't a game to the puppeteer. He wanted her on his terms or not at all.

It had finally came down to this moment between them… and he was waiting for her to give him an answer.

So – she answered in the most eloquent way possible…

Ino crawled across the table and laid a soul stirring kiss on the still seated sand nin.

Kankuro's reaction was immediate. The sand nin swept her up into his arms as he stood up, his lips still firmly attached to hers.

The patrons were treated to the sight of a blonde woman cradled in the arms of the most sinfully brooding man some of the ladies had ever seen as they made their way out of the restaurant.

Many of them smiled knowingly when they heard a delighted feminine laugh drift into the restaurant as they slipped out the door.

Ino knew there was no way she was going to get any sleep tonight… they had a lot of catching up to do.


	8. Round Eight: Behind Closed Doors

**Author's note:**

I am in total awe of the responses I have received for the last chapter posting.

Deepest heartfelt thanks to the readers and reviewers.

I think the gods hate me right now… what with the Fan Fiction website having issues and my PC doing a Mama Cass… I'm not a happy camper.

Yes – I know your crack is late and I'm sorry. XD

This chapter has been edited a couple of times but as always, it's subject to revision at a later date.

**Jiken – Ga – Arimasen:** Big katsuyo welcome to the new beta. Thanks for braving the lion's den and wanting to cut your teeth on this story. You obviously enjoy a challenge!

**Thunderwolf16:** Thanks for the wonderful PM. It just got me all inspired to write more literary perversion. I was so inspired in fact, that I had to split this round in two…

**Judo Creature:** Thanks for keeping me honest. I know I say this to you all the time but you really are a fantastic editor. It's a honor and a privilege to have you butcher my stories on a regular basis.

I always enjoy hearing your thoughts and reviews on the latest round but don't feel the pressure to leave one.

I love writing fan fiction. I don't need to withhold chapters in exchange for your reviews to get a warm fuzzy feeling.

Please be sure to check my Author's profile page for story updates if you curious when the latest chapters will be out.

I have noticed that the review commentary has been a huge hit with the regulars. Who knew my sassiness would be so welcome?

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Blaze da dragon:** I agree - Ino totally owns the last round in addition to owning the puppeteer! Thanks for the regular taunting... good to see someone else keeping me on my toes!

**Mika-chan, LostsoulofRegret:** I am certainly glad to hear you loved the new round. I had to deliver the goods… I feel sorry for the brunette though... Ino is now her perceived vision of Hell on earth and toilet water's perfume lingers on… and not in a good way.

**Sam:** Right now, I have no plans to stop adding new rounds anytime in the immediate future. I am having way too much fun watching these two trying to sort it out. You want details? Yep, you and everyone else… honey. :D

**Gaaraswifey:** I was deeply honored to see my story get a mention on your profile. Yes – I have addicted another poor soul! I'm glad you are enjoying it… I will try not to disappoint.

**Sickof yourgames:** I don't think anyone wants to be the brunette… the Swiss miss kicked her ass. And yeah… it's a safe bet to assume poor Ino is feeling the pain right now.

**thunderwolf16:** another satisfied customer of the katsuyo literary den of perversions! I'm delighted you enjoy my stories.

**Oxygen Pirate:** I think hot and bothered will be the least of everyone's problems… I'm aiming for temporary blindness and chronic nosebleeds this time. XD well, maybe a little trickle would be good...

**Ukiyo-e:** Yes, yes… love what you do… "Limbo" is totally awesome and I can't wait to read "Ground Rules" - _your_ Shino/Ino story when you post it on AFF.

**Bob'd:** You're right… I have no frickin' clue how good this story is…I originally started writing it because I needed a laugh. I'm thrilled that you think that I write well because there are days when I'm not so sure… this is still a big ol' learning curve for me! XD

**grimkitten:** Yeah… thanks for pointing out that you're tired of waiting… good to know.

I will try to post a little quicker next time but again, it all depends on how the chapter shapes up...

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

The rating has been changed to "mature" and the usual warnings apply – language, violence and blatant suggestions of a sexual nature are mentioned.

The smexy musical stylings of Fiona Apple and Bill Withers - are featured prominently and inspired the latest literary round of debauchery.

Use me, baby, use me… just use me up…yeehaw! XD

Naughtiness is ahead…no drinking or eating while you read the new round. That means you, blaze… XD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto but its fun to mess with them! I also don't get any cash from this madness either…

**Round 8 – Behind Closed Doors**

The young woman shifted slightly on the bed as she struggled to get into a comfortable position. A small naughty smile graced her lips, sighing wistfully as she continued to dream about large hands sliding over her body as a certain puppeteer weaved his erotic magic upon her body.

_Oh kami! Who knew you could use those chakra strings for **that**?!_

The blonde slid her hand over the pillow and squeezed, letting out a small sigh as the smile on her lips got wider.

_Mmmm… I never knew that glib tongue of his could be utilized sooo creatively? The man was certainly gifted…_

Ino snuggled deeper into the warmth under her cheek, letting out another blissful sigh but frowned slightly when she heard the pillow utter a soft moan.

_What the hell?! Since when did pillows moan like **that**?_

Ino cracked open an eyelid, only to find the dark emerald eyes of the sand nin watching her sleeping form intently.

The blonde's eyes widened in shock as her fuzzy brain finally processed where exactly she was.

_Holy shit... don't tell me we really did **that** last night?! Please... just let the earth open and just swallow me up now..._

Kankuro gave a small smirk as he watched the emotions play on her face as Ino's brain processed the events of last night and her present situation sprawled on top of his hard body.

_Oh Kami! I can't believe this?! The bastard has the gall to smirk about this... arrrgh... _

The puppeteer was amused as Ino groaned in dismay, pressing her hot face into his chest.

His amusement soon turned to pain as the blonde in his arms shifted one of her legs, only to shoot her head up from his chest and see her eyes glazing over with pain.

Kankuro quickly placed his hand over her mouth to muffle the scream bursting forth from those soft lips of hers and hissed softly as he felt her sharp little teeth sink into the fleshy part of his palm as her muffled howl of pain echoed in the stillness of the room.

"Shit, sweetheart... that stings! I did warn you that we needed to take it easy or you were going to be sore…" sighed the large man.

Ino shot the man an icy glare which promised retribution later. The blonde really couldn't care less if the man was _bleeding_ from the bite she gave him... she was suffering here!

She didn't need him to remind her right now that he had offered to be gentle last night. Ino wasn't about to admit, at least to him, that she hadn't wanted to stop once she discovered what she'd been missing out on all this time and now she was paying for it.

A sudden thought crossed her mind then as she darted her eyes quickly over to the door and saw the scratches scarring the normally pristine surface.

_Shit! They really had done **that** up against the door… it was becoming obvious to her that she had taken permanent leave of her senses last night... She just couldn't bear to look at him right now... it was official – she wanted to die!_

Kankuro watched the young woman groan in dismay again as she realized that they had indeed had an intense experience against that very door last night.

_He did feel sorry that she was in pain this morning…but he didn't regret a single moment. She had been everything he had imagined she would be and a whole lot more. _

The puppeteer was sorely tempted to give the fiery vixen in his arms a morning romp but knew, judging from the sharp sting coming from his palm and that stormy look of retribution – it was going to have to wait until a little later. He was going have to settle for a morning kiss instead.

_Oh well… He had waited until last night to taste the joy that was Ino… he can certainly wait until she was feeling better to partake of what she was now offering him freely and oh so willingly…_

Ino narrowed her beautiful blue eyes at that evil grin that suddenly appeared on the sand nin's face.

_She didn't trust the pervert as far as she could throw him…but she had to admit that he was definitely a man of his word._ _He had totally rocked her world… If only she didn't hurt so much… How the Hell was she to have known that the man had the stamina to go all night… and she would let him…_

The young woman blinked as she felt the large man under her shift and sigh, "How about you give me a morning kiss before I go run you a bath to help sooth those sore muscles of yours, hmm?"

Kankuro didn't give her a chance to answer as he slid her silken flesh up higher onto his chest to capture her swollen lips before plunging his tongue deep into her mouth and deepening the kiss.

He felt the slight hesitation before his little ice goddess melted like an icicle under his onslaught and pushed her fingers through his hair, to keep him right where she wanted him.

Kankuro groaned feeling her taking charge of the passionate lip lock and grind seductively against his muscular torso.

_When she kissed him like that…it just made him want to pull her under him and give her another taste of the delights they shared last night._

_No – he needed to take it easy on her. Its bad enough she was going to have trouble walking today…_

With that thought firmly in his mind, he tore his lips away from Ino's, hearing her soft growl of disappointment and placed a gentle kiss of her temple before sighing, "No, Ayame…let me go get that bath started for you. You'll feel better once you've had a chance to soak those tired muscles of yours."

Kankuro tried to keep the wicked grin in check as he shifted the voluptuous blonde off him, hearing her husky groan of protest as he could feel her heated gaze warm his taut buttocks as he walked over to the bathroom.

The puppeteer gave a sultry masculine chuckle as he starting running the water into the tub and thought, "It wouldn't do for the future mother of my children to get too sore just after one night of practice!"

----------------------------

_Holy Shit!_

Ino's blue eyes widened in horror as she took in the long red scratches criss-crossing the sand nin's back. While the large majority of them were superficial, there were some that were crusted with patches of dried blood.

The young woman closed her eyes then, aghast that she was capable of doing that to his poor back.

_She didn't even know she was capable of such abuse! Strangely, he didn't seem too unhappy about the damage she inflicted on his back though…if anything, he seemed deliriously overjoyed to be on the receiving end of such abuse._

Ino flinched slightly in pain as she forced her abused muscles to move her legs so she shifted herself on the bed and check out the damage she'd done to the paintwork on the room door.

The young woman blushed scarlet as she remembered how she had lounged seductively against the locked door and shook her head as Kankuro tried to persuade her that she would be more comfortable on the bed and murmured that they could do that later once she was more 'used to his attentions'.

Ino had demanded he take her up against the door like his eyes had promised he was going to do earlier that day or he wasn't getting any… She recalled that Kankuro had shrugged at that ultimatum before pulling out a kunai from within the folds of his deep maroon yukata.

Ino had been a little worried when she watched the large man advance with the weapon in hand and proceed to slice off her dress, taking a little time to pay homage with his smoldering eyes to the black lacy confection that consisted of her bra before shredding that as well.

She knew she should be bitching about the fact that he ruined one of her gorgeous dresses but she privately knew that the bastard would buy her a suitable replacement…

_That didn't mean that she couldn't give him a hard time over it though… There was no way in hell **she **would ever admit that watching him slice her clothes off in his impatience to have her had completely turned her on…_

The blonde's eyes traveled over to where the kunai was still imbedded in the wall where Kankuro had carelessly tossed it before leaning forward to pull the ragged remains of her clothing off her back.

The blonde felt her face go deep scarlet as her mind replayed what had happened after the knife had hit the wall with a sharp thunk.

_The man had a body just made for sin… that's for sure…just watching him release the cord on his yukata and sliding it from the bronzed perfection of his shoulders to pool negligently at his bare feet had caused her mouth to become dry…following the path of the yukata's descent and finding out that the large and well built sand nin had gone commando for the evening…had made her nose bleed profusely, much to the bastard's delight!_

She brought a hand up and idly touched under her nose and was pleased to see that she hadn't succumbed to another weak display of hormones….again.

Ino had held her breath, waiting in anticipation to see what the sand shinobi was going to do to her next. She had no warning as he trapped her wrists with chakra strings from one hand, her palms down against the smooth surface of the door as his head descended to taste the hollow between her neck and her shoulder.

Ino had felt the back of her head hit the door as she arched her body into Kankuro's large and exceptionally toned body, gasping as she felt his teeth lightly along the column of her neck before moving down lower…

The blonde closed her eyes as she could feel the heat build up in her body once again as she could recall every subtle sweep of his fingers on her flesh, the way his firm lips felt on her as he got her to beg and plead for a swift release from his sensual torture.

"Yes, it wasn't exactly how I had envisioned our first time…but I can't deny that it was very…arousing…taking you against that door…" sighed a smoky voice from behind her before softly adding, "I always knew you would be pure fire, I-Ayame but I would never have guessed that you would be so….responsive."

Ino reared up in shock, hearing that voice so close behind her and was about to turn around when she saw the puppeteer's large hands on either side of her torso as he leaned onto the bed and whispered in a heated tone, "You know what turned me on the most, my gorgeous vixen? The fact that you snarled at me to not make you wait as I grabbed hold of those succulent hips of yours and felt your long legs wrapping around my waist. I thought I was going to go up in flames as I slid into your hot…tight…flesh."

The young woman felt her face go a deeper shade of red as she whispered very softly, "Kankuro, I didn't realize that I had clawed the shit out of your back…"

Kankuro's heated voice broke in part way through her apology as he growled, "Ino, you sweet fiery woman… I don't give a damn about the teeth marks on my torso or the fact that my back is slashed to hell and back… there's been no woman who's made me feel the way you do..."

Ino felt her face flame up now from his comments.

_Trust him to remind her that she had totally lost her cool in his arms last night… _

The young woman buried her head into the sheets in an effort to hide her embarrassment from the puppeteer but Kankuro wasn't about to let her try and hide – not after last night's exceptional performance.

She bit her lip, trying to hold back the lusty moan that was forming on her lips as she felt the wet slide of his wicked tongue along the shell of her ear before it slivered seductively down the side of her neck but it was difficult. He made her feel like putty…his touch had the power to send her pulse racing and that frightened her a little more than she was willing to admit…

Ino released the moan when she felt Kankuro pull away from her, only to hiss out the breath she had been holding. She raised her head, closing her eyes and feeling his tongue slide up the small of her back as his large knowing hands traveled down her sides before settling at her waist.

"What the hell?! Yukio!! Put me down, you smug bastard! I'm in agony because of you! Every single muscle in my body hates you right now…Mmmph!" yelled the blonde as she felt the puppeteer lift her up and over his shoulder, muffling her mouth against his lacerated back.

"Shush, gorgeous…you are in no position to walk to the bathroom, so I'm carrying you there," chuckled the puppeteer, feeling her bristling at the injustice of being hauled around with her naked butt waving in the breeze.

"I could have walked…baka," grumbled Ino, only to feel the large man shake his head in the negative.

"No…trust me on this one, you'll be glad that I carried you… now stop being so difficult, Ino and let me do the right thing by you..." murmured Kankuro softly before planting a loud smacking kiss on a pert bottom cheek.

"Pervert!" gasped the outraged blonde as they disappeared into the bathroom and then added with a small grumble, "You know you totally owe me a new outfit…"

"Sweetheart, you wouldn't have me any other way… I'm fine with buying you new clothes… After all, it's a small price to pay for the pleasure we shared last night…" murmured the puppeteer, chuckling evilly before he closed the door behind them.

--------------------------------------------------

"You're not joining me?" asked Ino in a disappointed tone as Kankuro gently lowered her into the fragrant water.

"No. I was going to let you soak while I grab a quick shower before I go do a preliminary scout around the village," replied the puppeteer in a sober tone.

_Hell… he wanted to join her though…but they would end up back in bed and this mission wasn't going to run itself._

The young woman could tell that by the appraising look that he was still giving her that he would like nothing better than to slide into the inviting water, his large body cradling hers as his long legs stretched out in the bath. She knew, however, that he was set on making their mission a priority first.

Ino leaned her chin on the side on the tub and looked up. The shower was running but Kankuro was reluctant to move just yet.

"What's wrong?" whispered Ino, concerned.

The sand nin instead leaned down and captured her lips with his before standing up and crossing over to the shower.

"Nothing, sweetheart… I was just thinking what image I would like to carry in my mind while I'm wandering about town today on this pain in the ass wild goose chase… this one is perfect," replied the puppeteer cheekily over his shoulder before closing the curtain behind him.

"Oooh… pig!" hissed Ino, throwing the sponge at the shape behind the white curtain.

She heard the sand bastard laughing through the sounds of the running shower.

The only thing that gave her comfort about this situation was the occasional indrawn breath she could hear the puppeteer take as the water hit the fresh scratches on his back.

_He could be sooo sweet some times… it was just a shame that those moments were a rarity…_

Ino leaned back in the tub and felt the heat of the water seep into her sore and tired muscles.

While she'd woken up this morning with no regrets of last night's display of carnal excess, she was a little concerned how this would affect their relationship during this mission.

It was going to be interesting to see if they, well – Kankuro, could survive the mission without too much skin missing…

----------------------------------------

Ino was still reclining in the bathtub by the time Kankuro was ready to get out of the shower.

He was having a tough time trying not to get aroused whenever his thoughts strayed to the volatile vixen lying there with kiss swollen lips not more than a couple of yards from him… To say it was frustrating was an understatement.

_He sure as hell didn't want to gather information today… not after the absolutely glorious night he had in her arms. It was bad enough that Gaara and Tsunade were going to threaten to cut his stones off once they figured out that Ino got deflowered while in his care… yeah. He was not looking forward to that conversation but it was done and he had no intention of walking away from her now…_

"Ino, I want you to promise me that you will stay in this room until I get back." murmured Kankuro as he draped a towel low about his waist.

The blonde cracked open one eye and looked at him in mild curiosity before asking, "Why? I can look after myself."

_Great… trust her to be difficult… fine. _

"Sweetheart, after last night's little performance at the restaurant…everyone in this village is now convinced that you can more than look after yourself. I'm pretty sure your now infamous exploits are on all the gossip's lips this morning. However, the way you are currently feeling, you may want to consider taking the morning off to… soak." replied the puppeteer dryly.

_He knew from that look that she would pay him back later for his high handedness but she was his responsibility… whether she liked to admit to it or not._

The young woman closed her eye at that comment before sighing gustily, "Fine…whatever... just make sure you're back in time for lunch, you smug bastard… I have no intention of eating in here by myself with that large bed and the scratches on the door taunting me."

Ino's eyes snapped opened and she shivered delicately as she suddenly felt Kankuro's large hands slide around her torso as he leaned into the tub to kiss the hollow at the base of her neck.

She could feel him caress the spot on her neck where she knew the hickey was still proudly prominent.

"What's wrong? You still in denial about what happened between us in this room and on that bed, sweetheart?" whispered Kankuro heatedly.

Ino clamped her lips firmly together and closed her eyes as she felt the sensual onslaught of the puppeteer's lips traveling up her neck before resting against the shell of her ear.

"Ino, I have no intention of denying either of us that pleasure anymore… You better get used to the idea, darling…" drawled the sand nin sensually.

_Pig bastard! She'd be damned if she'd let the pervert call the shots…_

Kankuro could feel her tense up in the tub and could well imagine that he had pushed some button in her to cause her to be bristling with outrage.

"Sweetheart, if you're worried about me being in charge all the time… I have no problem with you using me as your personal pleasure toy…" murmured the puppeteer before pulling away from the blonde vixen and walking out the bathroom.

He never noticed the blush that covered the young woman's body as she was contemplating Kankuro's sensual suggestion, her anger suddenly vanished…

_She never once considered that the puppeteer would allow her to take charge of the action… that was indeed a heady thought._

-------------------------------

_Its official…this mission bit the big one…_

The puppeteer had spent the last two hours wandering around the streets of the village and so far he had come to the conclusion that it was going to take a little longer than both clan leaders were expecting for them to gather information. It was obvious that Orochimaru hadn't done any favors for this village, judging by the terrified glances he'd received when he had casually mentioned the missing nin's name.

The only thing he was thankful for was the fact that their cover was firmly cemented after last night's little incident. He had been dreading the prospect of being shut out of the decent eating establishments as a result of Ino's jealousy fueled antics in the rest room but had been pleasantly surprised to find a small pile of business cards waiting for him at the reception desk.

_It seemed that the villagers didn't get that kind of free entertainment that often… and his beloved Ino was a guaranteed customer magnet._

He was about to head back to the inn after he picked up some lunch for the two of them when he saw a discreet sign pointing to a shop on a side street.

Kankuro paused briefly and gave the sign a look of consideration before shrugging and heading down the side street.

_Why the hell not?_

The first thing he noticed as soon as he pushed open the non-descript door was how clean and bright the place was. It was obvious that it was pretty upscale for a store of its kind.

"Hello… can I help…" began a soft masculine voice, only to end in a girlish squeal, "Oooh…it's you! How's that ferocious wife of yours, big boy?"

The large sand nin raised an amused eyebrow at the outrageously dressed man behind the counter before replying, "You heard about that too, hmm?"

The flamboyant man stepped out from the behind the counter and waved his arms expansively in the air, exclaiming, "Honey, everyone in this tiny burg knows about it by now… It's not often that we see the biggest slut in the village get her comeuppance in such a way… _Kami_ knows, I haven't laughed that hard in simply ages…"

Kankuro grinned knowingly and murmured, "Yeah, Ayame certainly loves to make an impression... that's for sure."

This comment only caused the man to chortle harder before replying, "Yes, sweetie... she certainly did do that... according to my neighbor who works at the local hospital, that scrag isn't going to be forgetting your vicious flower in a hurry... two broken ribs take a while to heal...not to mention the numerous cuts and bruises she had all over her body..."

The man walked over to a display of scraps of lace and draped an arm on the rack before asking, "So, are you looking for something specific for that blonde Amazonian goddess of yours or are you just…browsing?"

A display on the wall caught Kankuro's attention. He grinned wolfishly at the image of how perfect the outfit would look on Ino.

_She was going to kill me but that outfit would look **fantastic** on her..._

"I'll take that…do you have it in this size?" replied the sand nin, pointing to the display and calmly rattling off Ino's measurements.

_He knew all that time of self imposed abstinence spent putting away her clothing would come in handy!_

The effeminate man clapped his hands in delight at the large man's choice. From what he had heard about this man's wife, it would look perfect on her.

"I need accessories, shoes and suitable undergarments as well… something white, lacy and preferably see-through…" replied Kankuro ignoring the ecstatic shop owner, who looked as though he was about to faint at his good fortune.

The puppeteer knew he owed her new underwear as well as another dress after he shredded her outfit last night but he could more than afford to buy her that and a lot more… it was the least he could do.

"Do you know what cup she is, handsome?" asked the man in the colorful yukata, an outfit draped over one arm.

The sand nin grinned wolfishly at the shop keeper before turning to check out another display of sexy clothes.

"Yeah… she's a C cup." murmured the large man, thinking perverted thoughts of those breasts cradled lovingly in his palms last night.

_A wonderfully, well proportioned C Cup… A perfect fit for his large hands... Yes - he was a lucky man! _ thought Kankuro wistfully, fingering a particularly fetching lacy bra and panty set before moving on to another set that caught his eye.

The shop-keeper watched the puppeteer wander through the store in awe of the man's raw sexuality and placed a bejeweled hand to his chest to calm down his heart.

_Oh Kami… the village hoochie never stood a chance! He certainly couldn't blame the blonde at all… if he had **this** waiting at home for **him**…well, he'd be attempting to drown the silly bitch in a toilet too!_

---------------------------------------

The blonde in question was still comfortably soaking in the hot tub. Ino was trying not to relive the events of last night in her head but it was difficult.

Kankuro had left quite an impression on her and there was no way in hell that she was forgetting the things he did to her anytime soon!

_What the hell had she been thinking…demanding him to take her up against the door?!_

Ino was embarrassed now but at the time, she had been driven purely by the moment.

She could tell he was surprised by that suggestion but he soon got over it if the evil little smirk that had appeared on his face was any indication.

Her face flamed bright red as she remembered her bravado beginning to wane when he finally done that evil thing with his tongue _down there_ of all places. Ino had tried to push the man away with her hand when she began to realize what he was planning to do, only for Kankuro to pin her with a scorching dark look and melodramatically sighed, "If you wish to deprive yourself of pure pleasure, sweetheart… then I'll stop…but I can guarantee that this will shut me up for a while…"

She had been intrigued beyond words as to how allowing him to do _that_ would shut him up for a while and had moved her hand away. She had quickly returned her hand back to his scalp and tugged hard when he had brought her hips forward and she could feel his tongue slide into her silken heat.

Kankuro had pulled away slightly to remove her hand from his burning scalp and re-wrapped the charka strings around her wrists before returning back to the sensual torture he was performing with his mouth.

It had been that wicked tongue of his though that had sent her truly over the edge…

_Who knew it was as agile and nimble as his equally talented fingers?!_

Ino covered her burning face with trembling hands as she recalled as how easily she shattered under his attention. She gingerly fingered the tiny little cuts on her lips, knowing full well how she got them...

She had bit down on her lips hard to prevent the full throated screams that threatened to break loose but even she couldn't prevent the muffled sexy whimpers that escaped with every swipe of his heavenly tongue.

_It was embarrassing… he had been determined that she experience extreme pleasure in his company and he had certainly achieved that goal…magnificently._

It had been when she finally came down from her mind blowing orgasm that her ultimate moment of embarrassment had come. Ino had opened passion glazed eyes to see a very aroused Kankuro sliding his large hands up her torso to get to his feet. He had been about to pick her up and take her to bed when she had blurted out that _outrageous_ demand of hers.

_Why… oh…why couldn't she have kept her big mouth shut?! And why did he have to be happy about her impatience to have him?! Impossible man! She was sooo embarrassed!_

Ino pulled her hands away from her face and noticed that her hands were decidedly pruned from spending an inordinate amount of time in the water.

"_I guess I should think about getting out of the bath tub…" _sighed the young woman privately.

Ino placed her hands over either side of the tub and pushed herself up to a standing position. She bent down to pull the plug before stepping out of the tub and reaching for a towel.

She quickly draped the towel around her wet figure before walking over to the small clock radio. A quick glance at the time told her that her tormentor would be returning back to this room soon with food in hand.

_I guess I should get organized and get dressed for the day…_

With that thought firmly in the forefront of her mind, Ino switched on the little radio, found a station she liked and walked over to the chest of drawers to select a fresh change of clothes.

-------------------------------

_She was probably going to flay him alive when she sees the **other **outfit he picked up for her… _

He would be the first to admit that he had purchased it with the sole purpose of it being worn for his own entertainment. There was no way in hell she would be wearing this fetching little ensemble out in public.

_Yes… he couldn't wait to see her in it! His perverted brain had been in overdrive ever since he first saw it up there on the wall in the shop… and the shoes the man had picked out to go with it… They were perfect! Oh hell, he thought he was going to up in flames from the sudden burst of lust surging through his system imagining her walking around in them…_

Kankuro walked rapidly back to the inn, the food and his purchases swinging slightly as he swaggered jauntily up the road, oblivious to the admiring glances he was receiving from the ladies.

The large man quickly dropped by the receptionist desk to pick up any messages before continuing single mindedly down the hallway, intent on reaching the delightful vixen waiting for him in the room.

He had just rounded the corner when he heard the music drifting out from his room…

_My friends feel it's their appointed duty  
They keep trying to tell me all you want to do is use me  
But my answer yeah to all that use me stuff  
Is I wanna spread the news that if it feels this good getting used  
Oh you just keep on using me until you use me up  
Until you use me up_

_My brother sit me right down and he talked to me  
He told me that I ought not to let you just walk on me  
And I'm sure he meant well yeah but when our talk was through  
I said brother if you only knew you'd wish that you were in my shoes  
You just keep on using me until you use me up  
Until you use me up_

Kankuro didn't recognize the song but he had to admit that it was a deliciously intriguing choice of song for his beautiful virago to sing.

He stood outside of his door, feeling like a peeping tom listening to her and imagining what else she was doing in there…

The puppeteer decided that he wasn't going to miss out on he felt was going to be a good opportunity for him to observe what he had a feeling would amount to be quite a floor show before she wised up and threw something at him.

He slid his room key into the door and quietly let himself into the room, holding his breath in anticipation.

--------------------------

It was a good idea that he has decided to enter the room as quietly as he had because he may have missed out on _this_!

_This_ turned out to be Ino gyrating seductively in a pair of high cut black lace panties and swinging a small towel to the sexy little tune on the clock radio beside the bed.

_And to think all this time he'd been wasting his money at the strip clubs in Suna when it was obvious this gorgeous woman put all their moves to shame!_

He crept over to the bed and sat down on the edge, watching avidly as the blonde with her back to him, swished her hips from side to side and dragged the towel languidly across her back.

She bent over and thrust her lace covered backside out, before rotating those hips of hers slowly and doing a delicious little butt grind.

_Oh yeah…sweetheart…if you dance like that... you can use me anytime you want!_

_The only thing that would make his perverted fantasies complete right now would be a stripper's pole..._

_Oh kami! Ino on a pole... now that... was an...amazing thought._

Kankuro leaned back on his elbows and grinned wolfishly as she continued to tease and tantalize him with her dancing. He silently promised himself that he was going to track down the song and have her put on a show for him every night! He could _definitely _get used to seeing her shake her goodies for his private entertainment!

_Oh sometimes yeah it's true you really do abuse me  
You get in a crowd of high class people and then you act real rude to me  
But oh baby baby baby baby when you love me I can't get enough  
I and I wanna spread the news that if it feels this good getting used  
Oh you just keep on using me until you use me up  
Until you use me up _

_Talking about you using me but it all depends on what you do   
It ain't too bad the way you're using me  
Cause I sure am using you to do the things you do  
Ah ha to do the things you do_

Ino had this weird feeling that someone was _watching_ her! She abruptly stopped singing, letting the towel slide off her shoulders and turned her head to see her appreciative audience of one looking on with delight.

The blonde's eyes narrowed in contemplation at that smug grin on his face, taking note of the bags piled haphazardly behind him, forgotten in his haste to enjoy catching her unaware. It was obvious that he'd been there for a little while…

_So…the bastard wants a cheap thrill, eh? I'll give him a cheap thrill he's not going to forget!_

Ino turned fully then and flicked her towel behind her saucily. Kankuro raised an eyebrow and waited with bated breath to see what the blonde planned to do next.

She didn't disappoint him. Ino prowled over to the puppeteer, rolling her hips in subconscious invitation before climbing onto his lap and draping her long pale legs on either side of his own.

Kankuro felt his brain have a melt down as he recalled how he had taken her in this very position in the early hours of the morning and silently cursed his hyperactive body as it too was remembering what they had done…

_Hell… he wouldn't mind taking her like that… right now!_

"I'm hungry… for food." grouched the vixen in the sand nin's lap, pinning him with a scorching gaze.

He tried to stop his hands from moving to anchor her hips down as Ino ground herself against him as she leaned over to one side to survey the bags piled on the bed. Kankuro could feel himself breaking out in a sweat as he tried to hold back the groan forming in the back of his throat.

"One of those bags better have food or you're in big trouble, mister…" growled the blonde.

Kankuro could feel the wickedly sexy smile broaden on his face.

_He couldn't help it… she made him feel like being **especially bad** around her…_

"Don't worry, sweetheart… I definitely brought you food…you're going to need your energy for what I have planned for later…" replied the puppeteer with a throaty laugh.

"Don't count on it, pervert… Just have the food ready by the time I get back…" growled Ino, sliding off Kankuro and stalking back to the bathroom.

He watched in delight as she strode back into the bathroom like the artic queen she was… and closed the door with a snap.

_He loved it when she was a frosty little bitch! _

Kankuro stared at the door for a little while in contemplation before shrugging and collecting the bag that contained their lunch.

_Yeah – it wouldn't do to keep his beauty waiting on her food…_

------------------------------

Kankuro looked up from setting out the final tray of sushi as he felt the bed dip.

He was a little disappointed that she had covered up that fine figure of hers with clothes but he could understand that she obviously felt a little self-conscious about parading around him naked. It was going to take her some time getting used to being around him like that… as far as he was concerned, she could take all the time she needed because he wasn't planning on going too far from her side any time soon.

Yeah, he knew that she had well and truly bagged and tagged him last night but he sure as hell wasn't complaining.

"Mmmm…sushi…" purred Ino muttering the traditional pre-meal greeting, snapping her chopsticks apart and popping a piece into her mouth.

Kankuro sat there smirking as she swallowed the sushi and sighed wistfully, "Ahhh…delicious!"

_Wanton little vixen… she's not happy until **all** her appetites are satisfied!_

Ino frowned when she saw the little smirk on the sand nin's lips and asked in a suspicious tone, "What are you up to, you smug bastard?"

Kankuro shrugged and popped a piece of sushi into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before replying, "Poor sweet Ayame, did you work up an appetite, hmmm?"

Ino narrowed her eyes at the openly grinning shinobi before snatching up another piece of sushi to pop into her mouth.

She glanced over at the bags and raised an eyebrow.

"What's in the bags, Yukio darling?" asked Ino, effectively changing the subject.

Kankuro leaned forward until his breath was teasing the shell of her ear and calmly replied, "You will have to wait until after lunch, sweetheart."

Ino's blue eyes widened in shocked delight as her mind registered that he had bought her something while he was out gathering information.

The puppeteer pulled back and continued to eat, popping a piece of tuna into his mouth.

"So, you managed to turn up any dirt yet, Yukio?" murmured Ino quietly.

"Yes I did, sweetheart… I managed to find a source in this village that was more than happy to spill the beans… we may be able to leave here a lot sooner than I was expecting.." replied Kankuro in a serious undertone.

"Oh." Ino felt silly but she was a little disappointed about the idea of this frustrating man eventually going home to Suna.

Sure, last night's experience had blown her mind but she was realistic that the sand nin would eventually leave her… despite his promises to the contrary.

She looked up in surprise to feel the man's hand under her chin and found Kankuro's eyes piercing hers with such an intense look.

"I have no plans to up and walk away from you… but you and I will need to have a serious talk when we get back," replied the puppeteer.

Ino swallowed the hard lump that lodged in her throat and felt as though he had seen a glimpse into her soul. It was uncanny how he figured out what was going on in her head and addressed the matter before she had a chance to worry herself into a nub. She wasn't too sure if she could get used to that...

"Now eat your lunch, Ayame and no trying to sneak a peak in the bags…" replied Kankuro with a sly twist of his lips.

_She was confused… this man was complicated in ways that she was just beginning to understand… she just hoped that he didn't go and break her heart._

-------------------------------

Kankuro gathered up the empty take out containers and disappeared out of the room to dispose of the trash.

Ino waited until the sand nin disappeared through he door before sliding over to the bags and started digging through the contents.

The blonde felt her face blush hotly as she pulled out a bottle of massage oil, a bottle of personal lubricant and an indecently large box of extra large condoms.

_Oh…Kami. She was getting all hot and flustered over the thought of emptying that large box…and she didn't put it past the man **not** to try to empty it by the end of the week!_

Ino quickly pushed the items back into their bag before putting into to one side and pulling another bag towards her.

She was curious to find a plainly wrapped package with a little note on the front – _for her._

_How mysterious..._

The blonde quickly tore off the packaging to find the most darling little black dress she'd ever laid her eyes on… It had a demure neck line but the fitted bodice and pencil line knee length skirt that simply screamed 'look at me!'

_Wow… when he said that he was going to buy her replacements for the garments he shredded… he certainly didn't mess around! The clothes were gorgeous…_

She touched the satin embroidery and bead work at the neckline with a reverent hand and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard, "Do you like it? I think I got your size right but you may need to try it on."

_It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever received…_

The blonde looked at the tiny little label on the lining of the dress and nodded slightly, too overwhelmed with emotion to speak.

_It seemed the bastard had thought of everything… right down to the dainty black lace underwear…_

She was going to reach for the other package when Kankuro intercepted her hand and shook his head.

"I'll let you open that one later, maybe after I finish sending messages to our 'Aunt' and my dear brother. You go and try on the dress, okay?" replied the puppeteer in a deceptively casual tone.

Ino raised a curious eyebrow at his odd comment but agreed to wait before investigating the contents of the last box.

She gathered the opened package and disappeared into the bathroom, anxious to try on the darling little frock.

----------------------

Gaara drummed his fingers impatiently on the desk as he waited for his brother's report to appear on the scroll.

The scroll was designed to display everyone's commentary in a different ink.

The indigo blue ink of Kankuro's report appeared on the Kazekage's scroll.

He could feel his blood freeze as he continued to read what his brother had managed to unearth on the first day of surveillance. There apparently had been a rash of thefts in the village in the past two weeks as well as rumors of strange noises coming from the caves overlooking the village.

It was obvious to Gaara that something was definitely going on in the area…

Suddenly the emerald green ink of Tsunade's comment appeared on the scroll after Kankuro's report.

"_**Did Ino discover anything else during the initial surveillance?"**_

Gaara's kanji tattoo climbed high on his temple as the indigo ink of his brother's reply appeared after a significant pause that wasn't missed by either village leader.

"_**Ino stayed at the inn today while I scouted out locations that would yield a high amount of information for our needs…I felt it would best if I did initial surveillance alone before we go and effectively use her skills to gather the necessary data…"**_

Gaara had a gut feeling that there was more to Ino staying at the inn than the concern of using her skills wisely but Tsunade seemed to think that Kankuro's methodology had merit.

_**I take it you have found places that fit that description then?"**_

The Kazekage heard someone scratching at the door then and looked up to see his sister's worried face.

"Kankuro?" mouthed Temari and was relieved to receive a curt nod in reply.

The indigo blue ink appeared on the scroll as Temari closed the door and walked over to stand behind her brother's high backed chair.

"_**Yes, Hokage… I did in fact find three locations that will yield the information we're after in a short amount of time…but I'm not sure I feel comfortable about sending your nin into them…"**_

Both Gaara and Temari looked sharply at each other at that cautious comment. It wasn't like Kankuro to be concerned about the safety of another village's shinobi.

Tsunade's emerald green reply soon appeared on the scroll.

"_**Bah! Ino is a strong kuniochi… I think you are being over-cautious about this…"**_

Gaara frowned thoughtfully before writing his reply in scarlet ink.

"_**Wait a moment, Hokage… Kankuro, what are these locations?"**_

The puppeteer breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his brother's message appear on the scroll. He wrote his reply and waited for the village leaders to respond.

"_**The Happy Times Strip Club and Massage Parlor, Heavenly Delights Sex Shop and The Rusty Kunai – a run down dive bar on the edge of town."**_

Gaara looked at the message in the indigo ink and steepled his fingers, deep in thought.

He could now see why his brother was being uncharacteristically cautious. He was stuck in a potentially dangerous situation with a beautiful blonde kuniochi. It was inevitable…they were going to attract a lot of unwanted attention, despite the need to blend in…

He also knew that he couldn't prevent the Hokage from sending her shinobi into these places… not if that's where the vital information could be found…

Gaara picked up his pen and started to write his reply…

Kankuro gave a sly smile as his brother's message appeared in scarlet ink.

"_**Do what you need to do to prevent the Hokage's nin from being harmed while you are busy gathering information… as soon as you get what we need… get out of there."**_

Kankuro heard a feminine gasp from behind him and turned around to see Ino dressed in the little black dress, her legs clad in the sheer silk stockings and the dainty jeweled heels.

"You look ravishing, sweetheart." murmured the puppeteer, spellbound at the sight before him.

"When were you going to tell me about this?" asked Ino in a hurt voice, gesturing at the scroll.

Kankuro sighed and replied, "I was planning to tell you when I found out what the leaders wanted to do… I'm not thrilled about taking you into two of these places but the man who owns the sex shop is an okay guy and he's dying to meet you… Ultimately, it's the decision of the village leaders."

Ino nodded in understanding before walking over to pick up the other message scroll.

The blonde sat down at the nearby table, deactivated the seals and started writing…

Gaara leaned back slightly as violet ink appeared on the scroll. It seemed that the Hokage's nin had something to say about the matter. Gaara looked up at his sister and saw her nod in reply.

"_**I agree with the Kazekage's plan, Hokage… Kankuro's initial assessment is that we can gather the information in a week…"**_

There was definitely a lot more to this young woman than met the eye… She certainly didn't come across as an airhead. It was also obvious to the Kazekage that she trusted Kankuro's judgment… which was interesting.

_Women usually didn't trust his brother as far as they can throw him.._

The Kazekage was relieved to see the Hokage quickly agree with the new course of action before signing off until tomorrow's briefing.

Temari grinned and nodded, gesturing to the scroll, "Come on, Gaara…. Let's ask them… you know you're dying to know…"

Ino gasped in shocked dismay as the Temari's message appeared on the scroll in slate gray ink.

"_**So, Kankuro… when are we going to meet our future sister-in-law?"**_

Kankuro tried to hold back his laughter as he watched Ino's reply appear in violet ink.

"_**What makes you think I would consider marrying the smug bastard?!"**_

Temari laughed out loud at the other woman's comment and couldn't help thinking that her brother had his hands full with this one…

Gaara frowned slightly at the leaf nin's impertinence and picked up his pen to write a response.

"_**I figure since you're sleeping with him… he mustn't be that disagreeable to you."**_

A response in indigo ink soon appeared on the scroll.

"_**He's got a point, sweetheart… I must have been worth the effort if you beat up another woman for me."**_

Temari laughed in delight and even Gaara had a small knowing smirk on his face. They both were now curious to hear the young woman's reply…

"_**Kami… you can be crude… I didn't technically beat up the brown haired skank… that implies that I used my fists..."**_

"_**Bullshit, Ino… you grabbed that poor woman by the hair, dragged her into the bathroom and I distinctly heard gurgling sounds…"**_

Gaara felt his kanji tattoo climb up on his temple again as Temari tried in vain to stop laughing but it was difficult… watching these two verbally tussle on the message scroll was hilarious..

"_**Well… stupid woman deserved it! She shouldn't have been trying to take what is mine!"**_

"_**Ino… as I explained to you last night… I'm pretty much fair game unless you're prepared to stake your claim… so the poor girl wasn't doing anything wrong."**_

"_**You weren't seriously going to take the silly bitch up on her offer, were you?!"**_

"_**Hell, Ino… I don't have that much of a death wish! I should think that you're more than enough woman for me…"**_

Temari's sides were aching from laughing so hard… her brother definitely had his hands full!

Gaara's comment appeared on the message scroll in scarlet ink.

"_**So, Ino… did you stake your claim on my brother then?"**_

Violet ink slashed across the scroll.

"_**I don't seriously have to answer that, do I?"**_

"_**Yes, I'm afraid so, Ino… Gaara being the Kazekage and all affords him certain privileges including the right to ask the aforementioned question…"**_

Temari cringed at Kankuro's response. She imagined that Ino was now most likely showing him what she thought of his sarcastic comment…

"_**Hell, Ino… not so rough! My back is still sore from last night…"**_

Gaara growled softly at the back of his throat before grabbing his pen… Temari was not helping laughing like the village idiot at these two.

"_**Young woman… did you have sex with my baka brother… yes or no?"**_

Violet ink appeared on the scroll.

"_**Oh for Kami sakes! Yes… okay, yes! Do you need details or do I need to provide evidence? I'm sure Kankuro would be more than happy to show you his back when he gets home…"**_

Temari felt the tears running down her cheeks… she honestly had no fear, this woman… yes, she was going to be a perfect addition to this family.

Temari's mood instantly changed though when she read Gaara's next comment on the message scroll.

"_**Hmmm... that does complicate matters somewhat... Kankuro… you have my permission to do what needs to be done if there's trouble."**_

"_**Kankuro, what does your brother mean?"**_

"_**Uh, Gaara… if there's nothing else to discuss… we should probably sign off too…"**_

"_**No way, bastard…you're not going to weasel out of this… tell me what your brother meant!"**_

"_**Ino…don't make me bend you over my knee and paddle that delectable ass of yours… I'll explain later."**_

Gaara sighed in frustration and buried his hands into his red hair. It was times like this he wished he still possessed Shukaku…

He watched the scroll erase itself as the couple signed off, presumably to continue their argument in the privacy of their room.

"Gaara, was it necessary for you to give Kankuro permission to kill any man stupid enough to touch her?" asked Temari in a concerned voice.

Gaara stood up and shrugged, sealing the message scroll.

"He's going to do it anyway… I may as well authorize it," replied the Kazekage dryly.

Temari stared at her brother's retreating back thoughtfully before nodding.

_Yeah… He did have a point...point taken._


	9. Round Nine: Possessive Much?

**Author's notes:**

I'm too freaking sick as well as lazy to do my usual shout-out this round but I thought I would say a special thank you to all my readers and reviewers who have been regularly checking in for the latest installment of the madness that is Kankuro and Ino.

Thank you to the nineteen reviews I received for the last round... you folks are crazy... XD

This is the raw chapter and like all things in life, is subject to revision at a later date.

I would like to dedicate this round to my totally, incredibly awesome betas; **Judo Creature **and **Jiken – Ga – Arimasen.**

I know you are both busy right now but I really do appreciate your hard work on this fiction. Thank you - I couldn't ask for better beta readers. XD

Anyone interested in doing fan art for this story…drop me a PM or better yet, send me an email and I will be happy to post a link of your glorious creations on my author's profile.

Okay – I had folks belly aching that the lemon was a little...chaste. Only one reader figured out why... yes, it was flashbacks from Ino's perspective. You deserve brownies for your canny observation skills. Kudos!

Just a small author's heads up here - This round immediately starts where the previous round ended. If you wish to experience the madness in all its glory - I humbly suggest you read the previous round before reading this one.

Okay - yes, there is naughtiness of a citrus nature in this round... you don't like that sort of thing... don't read it. Pretty simple, huh? XD

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

A sentence in "_Italics and quotation marks"_ denotes the thoughts of inner Sakura.

This round contains scenes of a decidedly sexual nature, violence and a lot of bad language. Again - if this kind of thing offends you, then you shouldn't be reading this story!

You know the drill…read as always and review at your leisure… have fun, kiddies.

Japanese word of the day for this round is:

Chikan – Japanese for pervert.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or the characters. I'm not that lucky.

**Round 9 – Possessive much?  
**

"Kankuro, don't you dare turn your back on me! What did your brother mean?" hissed Ino, bristling in rage.

The sand nin finished sealing his scroll before looking over at the furious vision in the little black dress.

"You really do look beautiful in that dress, sweetheart." replied Kankuro in a soft growl then continued, "So beautiful in fact, that I'd be sorely tempted to kill any man who was stupid enough to touch you in that way…"

Ino stood there is shocked silence as she watched the large man stroll over to the bathroom and close the door behind him.

_No… surely Kankuro wasn't capable of succumbing to a jealous rage, was he?_

No…the bastard wasn't going to hide himself in the bathroom and NOT give her a straight answer!

"Yukio, open the damn door… we haven't finished our discussion yet," snarled Ino through clenched teeth.

The bathroom door snapped open to reveal a clearly dangerous Kankuro, his dark emerald eyes simmering with murderous intent.

"By all means then, Ayame sweetheart… let's finish our little chat then…" growled out the puppeteer in reply.

Ino stepped back, now a little afraid of the man in front of her.

She felt something tugging at her wrist, effectively halting her flight.

The young woman's eyes narrowed at the sight of the chakra strings encircling her wrist.

Ino was about to starting yelling at the man when she caught a brief glimpse of the small flick of the puppeteer's wrist before she felt herself slammed up against the solid wall of muscle that consisted of Kankuro's chest.

"What's wrong with you, Kankuro?" whispered the blond woman in a shaky voice, feeling a large hand tugging at the zipper of her dress.

The puppeteer buried his nose into the hollow of her neck and inhaled her scent. He could hear her let out a soft gasp and it made him smile that he had this power to affect her like this.

"I thought it was obvious… you're mine and I'm not about to share you with anyone else." murmured the sand nin heatedly against her skin.

_Kami… that sounded so damn Neanderthal!_

"That sounds a little…possessive, don't you think?" murmured Ino her mind reeling at the thought, feeling desire coiling throughout her body like rivers of warm molten honey.

_He didn't give a damn that it sounded possessive… she was **his**. Anyway, he didn't know why she was complaining… it was obvious that she found it to be a turn on…_

Kankuro pulled back then and pinned the sultry blond with a searing gaze.

"I don't see you complaining too much about it, do I? So, how are you feeling – still sore?" murmured the large man, effectively changing the subject and making it clear with his scorching stare of his plans for the afternoon.

Ino swallowed convulsively before shyly replying, "I'm feeling a lot better thanks… but…shouldn't we wait until tonight…for _that_?"

"Hell no, Ino! There's no way I'm going to wait until then…" grouched the puppeteer before grinning wolfishly, "Don't worry, darling… you'll soon get used to the concept that we don't have to wait until night to enjoy the pleasure of each other's bodies…"

Ino felt cool air tease her back as the dress gaped wider before Kankuro gently tugged the beautiful frock off her shoulders and slid it down her long legs before watching her carefully step out of it.

"Don't you dare ruin that beautiful dress, bastard!" hissed the blond with a slight hitch in her voice.

Kankuro raised his head, touching his nose to hers before claiming her soft lips in a scorching kiss.

"Don't worry, sweetheart… I have no intention of damaging your new dress…not when it's obvious how absolutely stunning you look in it." murmured the puppeteer in a heated whisper before deepening the kiss.

Kankuro stepped back then to pick up the dress from the floor, walking over to carefully drape it over one of the nearby chairs before taking a leisurely perusal of the blond woman still standing in front of the bathroom, watching him just as intently.

Ino conscious of those piercing emerald eyes upon her, then bent down to unsnap a black lace garter from one of the French seamed stockings but the puppeteer's husky growl called out from his vantage point near the bed, "No…don't take the stockings off...not yet."

She looked up to find the large man covertly tracking the path of her pale hands as they traveled up over the front of the stockings. The way he was looking at her made her feel like she was an irresistible confection and he was having a sharp craving for something…sweet.

_What was he thinking?_

---------------------------------

_Gorgeous… she was simply breathtakingly…gorgeous._

Kankuro stood there, just watching the questions ghost across her face as he continued to watch her with hooded eyes. She had no idea how desirable she looked clad in the sheer black lace underwear and the silk stockings contrasting sharply against the purity of her pale skin. He wanted to imprint himself onto her soul and leave his touch indelibly on her heart so that no other man would compare to him…

_What if she really didn't want the same thing as he did? Would he be able to let her willingly walk away?_

He walked back over to her then and placed his large hands on her hips, trapping her tenderly against him.

Kankuro moved one hand from her hips to slide it up her body before letting it rest along the curve of her jaw line, looking deeply into her eyes once more before murmuring softly, "Would it be so bad to have to put up with me on a regular basis, Ino? You seemed so adverse to the concept of being married to me when Temari mentioned it before…so I was curious…"

_okay… she wasn't expecting this…_

Ino could feel her throat close up with emotion that she couldn't verbalize to the man standing in front of her and instead shook her head slightly from side to side.

Despite the occasions when his hentai ways reared its ugly head, he had consistently stuck to his word…and that accounted for something to her…

Of course, that perverted nature of his was always directed to her… and until last night, she had never appreciated that little fact… it was only when the brunette had tried to proposition Kankuro and he turned her down that she realized that he was only interested in her.

Kankuro leaned in then and whispered against the side of her neck, "Would you be mad at me if I was to be stubborn about this and tell you that I would seriously like you to consider making this charade we have found ourselves in… a reality?"

The puppeteer trailed the tip of his tongue along the column of her neck, hearing her breath hitch in her throat before his lips settled on the shell of her ear.

Ino could still feel the tension in his body and knew he was still angry but now the anger was directed…elsewhere.

"Would you want to scratch my eyes out if I was honest and told you that I would love to wake up every morning to find your legs wrapped around me?" murmured Kankuro in her ear before he gave it a lick.

Ino closed her eyes as her head tilted back, feeling his tongue running up and down her neck, tasting her skin.

"I'm not after an answer now, Ino… I just ask that you seriously think about whether or not you want me to be the man that's giving you pleasure for the rest of your life…because I do want to be that man for you," murmured Kankuro in a husky growl.

The blond felt his lips and hands slide away from her body then. She opened her eyes to see the large sand nin walking over to the bed and away from her.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, baka?" grouched Ino with a frown.

She was feeling sexually frustrated right now and it wasn't an emotion that sat very well with the young woman.

Kankuro stopped in mid stride and gave Ino a piercing look over his shoulder.

"What's wrong? You want me, sweetheart? Come and get me then..." murmured the puppeteer seductively.

-------- --------------- -------------------

_Bastard... him and his games... is that what life would be like around him?_

"Do you make it a habit to talk to yourself, Ino? And no, it wouldn't be all games, darling... but I guarantee life wouldn't be boring for us." murmured that annoying male voice from behind her.

_Shit! She hadn't even noticed that he had moved again... how the hell did he do that?!_

Ino jumped out of her skin as she felt his lips on her shoulder again and heard him say, "You say the word, sweetheart and I will leave you alone..."

The young woman turned swiftly around and glared at him before growling, "Don't you dare stop, baka..."

Kankuro chuckled softly and shook his head slightly before replying with a grin, "No, Ino... I don't plan on stopping if I can help it... how about we go over to the bed... we will be more comfortable there... no doors this time, okay?"

Before Ino had anymore time to think, she felt herself being lifted up into the strong arms of the sand nin and carried across to the bed.

Kankuro tenderly laid her down before shifting the packages off to make space for him on the bed.

The bed shifted under Ino as the large puppeteer joined her, staring deeply into her eyes, before finally raising one hand to slide it slowly up from her thigh to her face in one lazy sweep.

"Kankuro..." began Ino in a whisper.

Kankuro shook his head again slightly and placed a finger on her lips before replying, "Shh, Ino... last night we did things your way the first time... now I want to do this...my way."

Kankuro slid his hands down her legs and slowly removed the stockings one at a time, be careful to not snag the delicate fabric before putting them aside.

Ino was incapable of speech as he then leaned forward and captured her lips in a slow melting kiss. There was nothing hurried in the way his lips moved over hers, tasting and savoring her. She could feel those hands of his still moving over her flesh in a lazy exploration of her skin, tracing delicate patterns on her back with his fingertips.

Ino arched her back and leaned deeper into the kiss, feeling Kankuro's tongue slip inside her mouth.

She reached out blindly and slid her hands underneath Kankuro's yukata, feeling the muscles in his shoulders bunch up.

The puppeteer's lips left hers then to trail light kisses across her cheek and down her neck before traveling back up to her lips for another lingering kiss.

"Ino, touch me..." whispered Kankuro in a husky murmur.

Ino moved one hand down to the belt on his yukata, releasing it with an impatient tug and continued to kiss him with increased passion.

"That's it, Ino... show me that you want me just as much as I want you..." encouraged Kankuro against her lips before shifting to move her bra off her shoulders with his nimble fingers.

"Kankuro! How..." began Ino in a hiss before dissolving into a puddle of mush as she felt his mouth move down and capture a nipple in his mouth.

The puppeteer grinned wolfishly against her breast as he felt her arch even more into him, telling him plainly how much she was enjoying his attention.

He felt her fingertips leave their exploration of his exposed body to dig deeper into his scalp.

His hands slid down the sides of her torso before settling firmly at her hips in an attempt to keep Ino in place as he moved his lips over to lavish little nips and licks to the other nipple.

_Damn…she was…responsive. _

Kankuro felt a sly smile tug at his lips as he felt the woman beneath him whimper and arch, her eyes closed in delight from the sensations she was feeling on her body.

Kankuro licked his way down to her navel, dipping the tip of his tongue in the indentation and eliciting a surprised gasp out of Ino.

"Ino, do you need this as much as I do? Can you feel the chemistry between us or do you still continue to deny even that?" murmured the puppeteer in a soft groan against her skin.

Kankuro looked up then and pinned Ino with a soul searching gaze before replying in a hoarse whisper, "Don't ever think I don't need you, Ino…You'd be just fooling yourself… I do need you…but don't expect to hear it too often from me… I'm not that kind of guy."

Ino felt a tear slip down one cheek, strangely touched at his odd little confession and moved one hand from his hair to cradle his cheek in a tender caress.

_No... this was probably one of the few occasions that this man would ever admit that he was weak enough to need someone… and her of all people…_

He reached up then and brushed the stray tear off her cheek before leaning down and placing a soft kiss above her panty line.

"This is your last chance to protest, sweetheart before the panties come off…so, what's it to be, Ino… Yes or No?" murmured Kankuro looking back up into Ino's blue eyes.

The blond didn't answer but instead moved a finger over from his cheek to dance along his bottom lip before the puppeteer captured it with his mouth, causing her to gasp once more.

"You're delaying, darling… I need an answer or I'm just going to get up off this bed and put back on my yukata." replied the sand nin with a saucy little half smile.

He bit back the evil grin that threatened to break loose as he watched those beautiful eyes of hers widened in dismay at the prospect of him stopping and saw her nod her head quickly to let him know that she wanted him to continue.

_He was feeling particularly naughty right now…but he needed to hear her say what she wanted…_

Kankuro continued to swirl his tongue around the finger still trapped between his lips, ignoring the little whimpers coming from Ino as he raised his hand again but still time to wag his pointer finger at her.

"No, sorry sweetheart… I need to hear you tell me what you want… How do I know that you're not just using _me_?" murmured Kankuro with a deceptively innocent look on his face.

Ino's eyes seem to get wider as her mind grasped his words and Kankuro was secretly delighted to see her swallow in shock before replying in a strangled voice, "Kankuro… make love to me…please?"

…_make love to her? Did she realize the ramifications of what she just said to him? He had a feeling that Ino didn't…that it was a subconscious slip of the tongue…but what a slip it was…_

Kankuro could feel the shock beginning to show on his face before he quickly masked the emotion and nodded back at the nervous blond beneath him.

Ino fought hard to keep the blush from staining her cheeks as she felt his hands slide down her hips, taking her lace panties with them.

She saw something akin to shock in the depths of his emerald eyes before it was gone.

Ino didn't know what had just happened between them but a decision and a promise was made in that single moment.

The young woman was brought back to the present with the touch of Kankuro's hands resting gently on the tops of her thighs and could feel her maidenly defenses come to the fore as she locked her knees together.

She heard him let a soft husky chuckle as he murmured, "Ino, I promise I will be gentle… I know you're still a little tender. I just want to give you kisses like last night."

_Oh Kami… he was going to do that to her, again? She barely survived the first time he did that to her… _

Kankuro grinned knowingly to himself as he felt her knees suddenly give way after his comment.

_He must have made a more lasting impression on her than he originally thought…_

Ino felt her face flame as she watched his tongue dart out to lick and intimately caress her.

_She was sooo embarrassed…but it felt sooo good when he touched her like that!_

Her head fell back against the pillows as she tugged on his thick brown hair and let out a sultry moan as she arched her back.

"That's it, Ino… tell me how much you enjoy this…" murmured Kankuro against her before burying his tongue deep inside her welcoming warmth.

_She wasn't capable of speech let alone thought right now… how he expected her to…_

Another long whimpering moan burst forth from her lips then as she felt herself climbing higher from the things he was doing to her with his tongue but it was nothing compared to the slide of that finger inside of her.

"Ohhh… Kami…" whispered Ino in a sultry wispy sigh, feeling the pleasure wrack her body now…

Kankuro continued to caress the woman before him, adding another finger and watching in possessive delight as she was slowly starting to unravel from his touch.

_This woman was so…incredible. He'd never been with someone who came apart so easily as she did…and it was a total turn on for him…one he would never get enough of…_

"Oh… Kankuro…please…I …need…you…now." stuttered out Ino in short panting gasps, feeling like she was at the end of her control.

The puppeteer looked up and was stunned to see the naked desire shining from her eyes… just for him.

He wanted to give her an earth shattering climax before he claimed her again but seeing that look on her face…no, he couldn't deny her even if he tried.

Kankuro pulled away from her then, still stroking her gently with one hand and prepared himself before finally kneeling between her parted knees. He slipped his fingers out of her tight sheath, popping the digits into his mouth, closing his eyes in ecstasy as he sucked on them and savoring the taste that was uniquely Ino.

He snapped open his eyes and pinned her with a scorching gaze that clearly told Ino that he was equally affected as she by the moment.

The puppeteer moved his hands from her hips then and slid them down her leg, pulling her closer to him with her knees.

She gave out a small squeak at the sudden movement as he murmured with a sexy smile, "Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart."

She felt his hands moved back up to her hips as her legs gripped his torso before he surged forward in a one smooth powerful stroke.

Ino's eyes flew open wide from the feeling of fullness she was feeling before they closed once again as she arched her back in passion.

"Ino…sweetheart…hold my hands…" murmured that smoky voice in her ear.

The young woman blindly reached down, fumbling along her hip line under she reached his hands gently biting into her hips.

Kankuro let go of her hips and let Ino move their joined hands above her head, feeling him go deeper inside of her as a result of the new position.

Ino could feel the little knot of pleasure tighten up more and more as she felt this amazing man sliding in and out of her body in steady careful strokes, determined not to hurt her.

"Kiss me, Kankuro…" whispered Ino, feeling her muscles tighten and the knot within starting to unravel.

Kankuro looked up from his leisurely exploration of her neck and collar bone, drinking in her soft sighs and husky whimpers before moving his lips to claim hers in the kiss she sought.

She could taste herself on his lips and oddly enough, wasn't turned off by it. If anything, it made her crave more of the man above her.

Ino broke contact then and felt her back arch from the bed as her climax hit her in sharp waves of intense pleasure.

Her cries and the whisper of his name from her lips echoed throughout the room as she could feel herself shatter in ecstasy.

Ino could now feel Kankuro's hands as they weaved themselves into the silk of her hair as the feeling of her orgasm became too much for him to handle.

"Ino...…so beautiful." murmured the puppeteer in a soft gruff voice into her hair as he too reached completion within her arms.

Kankuro gently shifted the blond still joined to him so that they were now resting on their sides and his much heavier weight was off her.

He continued to stroke her hair in languid sweeps of his hand as he watched her drift to sleep.

She never heard him quietly admit that he loved her as she slipped into a deep slumber, bone weary and very satisfied …

--------------------- --------------------------------- ----------------

Sakura was walking back to her office after her shift at the hospital when the young nurse found her and informed her that the Kazekage was waiting there to speak with her.

The pink haired medic nin watched the nurse stroll off, her brow furrowed momentarily while she contemplated why Gaara would need to see her so late in the day.

It must be a serious matter for the Kazekage to seek her out. She had been here in Suna for a little over a couple of weeks now but she was already used to his largely unannounced appearances on the hospital wards.

The young woman found herself suddenly standing in front of her office door.

She reached out to turn the door knob and noticed that her hand was trembling.

_It was always this way…he always managed to make her pulse race with excitement… it was just a shame that he seemed oblivious to her interest in him…_

Sakura pulled her hand back from the door and took a cleansing breath before attempting to grab the door knob once more.

She quickly opened the door and slipped inside the room, only to be pinned by those amazing cerulean green eyes of his.

_If only he could look at her like that in passion…_

_(grumbling)"You know... it wouldn't hurt if you opened your mouth and told him how you felt rather than mooning about him all the damn time!"_

"Sakura."

Just the acknowledgment of her name in that deep voice of his was enough to send the tremors coursing through her body once more.

The pink haired medic nin roughly cleared her throat, trying to dispel the sudden image of Gaara sweeping her files off the desk, laying her down on top of it and having his way with her.

_He'd be a powerful lover too…forceful but slow and meticulous…_

_(snort)"Slow and Meticulous?! Are you fucking kidding me? Tell me you're joking Sakura… He'd be an animal! Hard and deep all the way!"_

"Sakura, are you okay? You went red quite suddenly… are you coming down with a cold?" asked Gaara with a frown, walking over to the silent woman standing in front of the closed door and placing a warm hand on her forehead.

_Ack! He's too close…I can feel his heat reaching out to me…_

(panting) "_Hell – yeah! That desert cutie is almost touching us... come on, bad boy... just a little closer... aw heck, my nose is bleeding... Shit!"_

Sakura's face blushed brighter as she felt her nipples tighten up and blatantly tell the Kazekage how she truly felt for him.

_Oh Kami… please don't look down, Gaara… this is embarrassing enough for me…_

_(smirking)"No, Gaara... have a good look! Stupid bitch here wants you but she's too gutless to tell you to your face..."_

She felt her breath lock up in her lungs as Gaara continued to peruse her with those bottomless and all seeing eyes of his before slowly pulling away.

The young woman breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him walk back over to the desk and sit back down in his seat.

Sakura cleared her throat once more and asked, "Kazekage, what brings you to my office… Is everything okay?"

"I heard from Kankuro today…" replied Gaara.

The medic nin's eyes widened at that announcement and she pushed herself away from the door, rushing over to sit down in her chair.

Gaara grinned privately at the young woman's eagerness over the news that his brother had been in touch.

"How are they? Do you know if Ino is well?" said Sakura in a rush, leaning forward slightly.

The red head gave a small wry smile and replied, "Judging from the scroll session I just finished…I say she is more than fine. Is your friend always…that confrontational?"

Sakura laughed at that comment and replied with a smile, "Only when her emotions are stirred…why? What set her off?"

"I'm afraid I did… I asked her a question that seemed to get her ire up." replied Gaara seriously.

"Oh? What did you ask her that caused that reaction?" asked Sakura extremely puzzled.

"I asked her if she had slept with my baka brother." replied the Kazekage with a small smirk gracing his firm lips.

_Oh kami._

"_Mwhoahahahahaha!"_

The medic nin stared in abject shock at the sand leader sitting in front of her before finally replying in a strangled voice, "And…what was her…response?"

"I believe her exact response was - 'Oh for Kami sakes! Yes… okay, yes! Do you need details or do I need to provide evidence? I'm sure Kankuro would be more than happy to show you his back when he gets home…'" replied Gaara now openly smirking.

_Oh…my…god._

_(snort) "holy fucking shit!... that's freaking hilarious! Way to go, Ino-pig!"_

_Would you put a fucking sock in it? You're being really annoying right now..._

Sakura's mind was reeling with the ramifications of her friend's candid comments, especially knowing what she knew about the puppet nin's feelings for Ino.

_Oh shit. _

_(snort) "oh..oh... my ribs are hurting so much... too funny."_

"Is it really necessary for you to know that, Gaara?" asked Sakura carefully, watching the kanji love tattoo slash down on his temple as he frowned darkly at her.

"Kankuro has never been one for…commitment but he has always been one for a challenge. Your friend is the first woman that has ever tempted him to go beyond…a casual acquaintance." replied the Kazekage in a deceptively casual tone. He saw those soulful green eyes of hers widen as understanding began to dawn but continued to speak, watching the medic nin's face carefully for her reaction.

"If my brother has indeed staked his claim upon your friend as she herself has clearly stated, I do not believe he's going to let her slip through his fingers so easily. If anything, I believe he will be more inclined to be more possessive…especially if your friend was previously…untouched."

He didn't miss the telltale flush that came to Sakura's face at that last word.

_So. His gut feeling on the blond woman had been right after all. _

_This did indeed complicate matters if she didn't return his brother's feelings... _

_Damn it all to hell and back._

The red head pinned the medic nin with a long look of consideration before murmuring, "So, tell me… is my brother in danger of having his heart crushed or does Ino return his affection too?"

Sakura chewed her bottom lip, finding a spot on her desk infinitely fascinating before softly confessing, "No, Ino wants him just as badly as he wants her… she's just feeling…overwhelmed by how fast this attraction has developed between them."

"Its always been that way in our family… We are not shy in claiming what we desire." replied the Kazekage with a negligent shrug, giving the young woman behind the desk a lingering look.

Sakura could feel the blood begin to warm and slow down in her veins as her face flushed darkly once more from the forbidden thoughts flooding her mind.

The pink haired woman cursed silently under her breath once more as she felt her body betray her inner desires – yet again, to the man sitting in front of her.

_This was becoming downright embarrassing!_

"_Oh for Kami sakes, Sakura... just jump his bones, already! Who knows? He might actually enjoy the attention... I sure as hell would... shit! My nose is bleeding again..."_

_Hmph... serves you right, damn perverted little bitch!_

Sakura swallowed nervously and replied in a shaky voice, "Gaara, that sounds positively primitive!"

The leader of the sand village merely leaned back, his kanji tattoo climbing high on his temple as he countered smoothly, "No, Sakura…it's merely an honest expression of our basest emotions. No lies, no false promises… just a statement of fact."

The medic nin licked suddenly dry lips, not missing how Gaara's cool light jade eyes tracked the path of her tongue hungrily.

"What about you, Gaara? I don't see you following your brother's example... or is it that no one has come along to…capture your interest?" murmured Sakura suddenly feeling light headed at where this conversation was heading.

The Kazekage stood up abruptly and leaned over the desk until their faces were mere inches apart and he could see clearly into the hidden depths of her green eyes.

"No, Sakura… you're mistaken about me. I was until recently under the impression that the woman I desired was unattainable. I too, plan to stake my claim in the not too distant future now I am well aware that she desires me as well…" murmured Gaara in a husky, sexy growl before pushing away from the desk and walking over to the door without a backward glance.

Sakura watched dazed, as the powerful red head paused at the door and murmur, "I'll leave you to your paperwork. In the meantime, I will ask maintenance to check the air conditioning in your office… Goodbye, Sakura."

_Check the air conditioning? What did he mean…_

"_Ah hahahahah... Sakura, you are so high beaming him right now... way to go, girlfriend... tell him how you truly feel, why don't you?"(snort)_

The medic nin flushed a bright scarlet as she finally realized what Gaara meant and distinctly heard the man let out a deep throaty chuckle as he closed the door.

-----------------------------0---------------------------------

Ino awoke to darkness and the feel of the sand nin's hands lightly caressing her back.

She yawned and stretched languidly, hearing the large man groan when she brushed her pert bottom against his semi aroused flesh.

"Mmmm, what time is it, honey?" asked Ino drowsily.

"It's around seven pm, sweetheart." murmured Kankuro against her ear, still caressing her back before sighing heavily, "Also time for us to go out and do some sightseeing, Ayame."

_Ah, yes…sightseeing… their codeword for scouting… this mission hadn't started in earnest for her and already she was wishing that she was back in Konoha._

"Can I wear my new dress?" asked the blond hopefully, wanting the chance to show off the darling little frock.

Kankuro shook his head with a small smile and shrugged, "I don't see why not, Ayame."

The sand nin was reluctant to get out of the bed but knew that they needed to start gathering information this evening.

It would be so easy to blow off everything and stay inside their room tonight but he realistically knew that the mission couldn't be delayed...

Ino's eyes widened as she felt a sting on her bottom and turned over to glare at the large man.

"Did you just smack me on the ass, _baka_?" asked the young woman, rubbing at the red spot on her cheek.

"Yes... what are you going to do about it, hmm? Come on, sweetheart... we need to get out of bed now... I'll even offer to scrub your back." murmured Kankuro seductively before leaning forward and planting a loud smacking kiss on her lips.

Ino gave him a small smile before shoving the puppeteer out of the bed with a gruff, "Baka..."

She watched him walk over to the bathroom, sighing inwardly at the turmoil that was currently occurring inside her mind.

_He was making this hard for her to just dismiss him out of her mind once this mission was completed... which was his intention all along...and it was working._

Ino swung her feet off the bed and inadvertently kicked the unopened package on the floor with the curious label – _for him_.

"Um, Yukio... sweetie... can I open up this remaining box now?" called out Ino, not bothering to disguise the open curiosity in her voice.

She heard Kankuro give a decidedly naughty chuckle before he replied from the bathroom, "Sorry, Ayame... the package is going to have to wait until we get back... In the meantime, I suggest you get a move on or you're going to miss out on the hot water."

The young woman quickly pushed herself off the bed and headed off to join the puppeteer in the shower.

_Yes – there was nothing worse than a cold shower... she didn't want to have any more of those if she could help it..._

--------------------------------0-----------------------------------

"Well, Yukio... dinner wasn't as much as an ordeal as I was initially dreading." murmured a cheery feminine voice.

Kankuro stopped walking and looked down at the woman beside him, her hand clasped in his and gave a wry smile before replying gruffly, "No, if anything... I think people were disappointed by the lack of a floor show this evening."

Ino blushed furiously before countering in a low growl, "Oh...I wouldn't know about that, Yukio... that kiss you laid on me when the waiter came to get our order certainly made quite the impression on the female population if those gasps and sighs I kept hearing were any indication."

The blond heard the large man laugh before he replied in that sexy voice of his, "Down, kitten... at least show some sympathy for their plight... They can merely look but only you get to touch."

Ino raised stunned blue eyes up and looked intently at the puppet nin for the first time since they started having this conversation.

"Why do you do that?" murmured Ino finally in a soft voice feeling her heart suddenly fluttering a mile a minute inside her chest.

"Do what, Ayame? Is it so wrong to address the questions I see in your eyes? I know you have doubts still... I am merely dealing with those concerns in the only way I know how... with brutal honesty." countered Kankuro in a husky voice.

Ino flushed brightly and turned her face away from his, knowing the big man was correct in his assumptions.

"Besides, I wasn't the only one intent on putting my point across this evening... I distinctly felt your foot sliding up and down my leg." murmured Kankuro in delight.

_Oh yeah... she did do that... _

"And when you decided to slip off your sandal and put your foot _right there_... well, darling... I thought I was going to lose it...I wanted to sweep our meal off the table, haul your fine self onto that pristine tablecloth... and.." murmured the puppeteer lost in his reminiscence, only to have the sound of Ino clearing her throat in embarrassment to bring him back to reality.

Ino could feel her face flaming hotly now as she murmured in a shaky voice, "Okay, sweetheart... I get the picture already... now, is there anywhere you would like to go before we head back to the inn?"

Kankuro grinned evilly at her blatant change of topic as he replied, "Yeah, there is this one little specialty store that I am eager to take you to, Ayame."

Ino felt her breath lock inside her small frame before she slid her eyes back on the man standing beside her.

_Speciality store…my ass! There was no way she was going into **that** type of establishment…_

"Do we have to, _dearest_?!" hissed the blond under her breath, now openly glaring at the large sand nin.

"Oh yes... we have to walk past the side street and it would be terribly impolite to not go in and at least say hello... especially since the owner was kind enough to extend an invitation for us to visit him." replied Kankuro in a deceptively innocent tone, now enjoying her discomfort.

Ino chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully, torn between cowardly going back to the inn on the pretense of having a headache or just follow Kankuro into this place he mentioned.

"You're not thinking of chickening out on me, are you dearest?" whispered that smug male voice into her ear.

Ino glared at the puppeteer, privately upset that he was able to see through her like that and decided to brazen it out.

"Oh…no...of course not... I'm sure this _friend_ of yours is a real charmer." replied the blond in a saccharin sweet voice.

"I'm glad to hear you got your backbone back, sweetheart... now, let's go. The sooner we get this done... the sooner we can return back to the inn. I imagine you're still tired from all the...activity, hn?" replied Kankuro wolfishly to the young woman before grabbing her hand once more and steering her down the side street and towards their destination.

-------------------0-----------------

Ino looked at the sign in horror before shaking her head and replied, "Oh Kami... I can't plead a headache, can I?"

Kankuro laughed huskily and gave the reluctant blond a small push through the door.

"Come on, Princess... your adoring public awaits..." muttered the puppeteer under his breath.

"Huh? What..." asked Ino clearly confused, only for her eyes to round into giant saucers at the shop owner walking towards them.

_Oh my...word._

"Yukio! You're back sooo soon and with your wife in tow this time... this is a delightful surprise." simpered the flamboyantly dressed man.

"Well, Suki... you did say that I should bring my little goddess by to say hello... we haven't stopped by at an inconvenient time for you, have we?" countered Kankuro smoothly.

_This was the **okay guy**?!_

"Oh...no, Yukio...not at all. This is just perfect... the evening rush doesn't start for another two hours. Well, welcome to my humble little shop, gorgeous... I see the little black number fits you like a dream..." murmured the owner, giving her a thorough once over with his practiced eye.

_Kankuro bought this here?!_ _Both packages were wrapped in the same paper, so he must know what's in the other box... it wouldn't hurt asking..._

"I don't suppose you could give me a little hint as to what is in the other box, hmmm? I'm afraid Yukio is being rather mysterious and won't let me open it until tonight." murmured the blond conspiratorially.

She was taken aback to see the man clap his hands in delight and chortle as he shook his head, "No can do, sweetie... my lips are sealed... besides, that big handsome brute of yours made me promise not to blab... wanted it to be a surprise."

_Typical._

Ino sighed dramatically and turned her attention to the colorful displays around the store, paying no mind as the two men exchanged amused grins after the blond woman's failed attempt to pump the man for information.

"Uh, Suki... this is...quite...a store. What made you decide to open it here?" murmured Ino as she walked around the pristine little sex shop before finally stopping wide eyed in front of a colorful costume displayed artistically on the wall.

"Well, Ayame... the place was simply crying out for a store like mine... Goodness knows, someone needs to help the female population in this little burg keep their men happy!" replied the flamboyant shop keeper with a girlish giggle before walking up behind the blond and whispering in her ear soto voice, "It's eye catching, isn't it? I imagine with your coloring and your divine figure, you will have a tough time keeping that man of yours in line in an outfit like that!"

Ino swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as she took in the black cinched in corset and the frilly flared skirt of the dress.

"Um, w-what exactly d-do you call that style, Suki? It's certainly...different." asked the young woman feeling her face heating up as she thought of herself wearing an outfit like that for Kankuro's amusement.

_Not that she would have the guts to wear something like **that**…_

"It's fittingly called _the milk maid_... but not everyone can pull off a bold outfit like that! It's all about the attitude." simpered the petite man in the loud yukata.

_Oh...my. Yes – she could see where attitude was key in an outfit like that... and that color, it simply wasn't for the wallflowers... that's for sure._

Ino was drawn out of her inner musings with the feel of a soft masculine arm tugging her towards the back room.

"Come on, darling... let's go drink tea and gossip... I'm sure tall dark and handsome here will be just fine. Yukio, you know where to find us..." exclaimed the exuberant male.

Kankuro looked up from his perusal of a fetching little mesh number and nodded.

"No problem, Suki... I'll be there in a moment...have fun, sweetie." grinned the puppeteer.

He watched in mild amusement as the odd pair disappeared into the back room, listening to the two of them gossiping like old friends.

_Yeah... she was going to be just fine... he just needed to figure out how they were going to get their information and he had a feeling that Suki would have a good idea as to how they could do that without rousing too much suspicion..._

------------------ ----------------------- ---------------------

The brightly dressed man and blond woman were still laughing and sipping their green tea when Kankuro finally walked though the door into the back room.

"You two having fun?" replied Kankuro with a small grin.

It was obvious to him that Suki was enjoying Ino's company to the point that a part of him felt bad about practicing deception on the harmless shop owner.

"Oh yes... Ayame here is such a breath of fresh air... she was just telling me that you folks also had problems with that creepy snake guy in the village you are both from... I was glad to see the back end of him, let me tell you... but you know… there has been this rumor going around..." said Suki, tapping a manicured nail against his chin, deep in thought.

Ino quickly darted her eyes over to Kankuro but asked in a gossipy tone, "Why, Suki... you're holding out on me..."

The flamboyant man quickly turned back to look at Ino and clapped his hands in delight before exclaiming, "Oh Ayame... don't worry...I'll dish... Chi Chi over at the Happy Times said that she's seen this guy with gray hair and glasses there watching the evening shows for the past week or so... she remembers when this guy worked for big tall and slimy..."

Kankuro raised an eyebrow and looked over Suki's head to give Ino a speculative gaze.

"Oh course... I certainly wouldn't recommend a nice couple like you going to a place like _The Happy Times_, even though Chi Chi does run a clean operation." murmured Suki absentmindedly as he picked up his tea with a bejeweled hand.

Kankuro raised an eyebrow as he watched Ino lean forward and caress the man's arm before coyly replying, "Oh Suki... you know I would love to check out your friend Chi Chi's place... surely there is a way we could check it out without too much trouble?"

_He had to admire her drive but what the hell was she thinking? A strip club was no place for her to go to...not with her looks!_

Suki looked at the blond woman for a long time before murmuring, "Lah, Yukio... I can see why you didn't want anything to do with the local slut... she really is a spunky little thing, isn't she?"

Kankuro laughed at the flamboyant man's comment and replied, "Yeah, Suki... she's certainly a force to be reckoned with but I wouldn't have her any other way..."

Suki caught the smoldering look the large man was now shooting the blond sitting next to him and raised a hand to calm down the heart that threatened to break out of his rib cage from its constant fluttering.

_Oh my... He really had to dish to Chi Chi! Yes... it would be a shame if Chi Chi didn't have a chance to meet these two herself..._

"Yes, I can see that...Fine, you've twisted my arm, gorgeous...Chi Chi has an Amateur's night that has become more of a couple's evening... the atmosphere tends to be less...rowdy on that night." replied Suki thoughtfully.

"Amateur's night?" asked Ino, now full of curiosity.

"Oh Yes... the local women usually do a small strip act for tips and a chance to win prize money for the best Amateur of the night... it's lots of fun to watch... of course, some of the men are going to be disappointed that Akashi won't be performing for the next couple of weeks or so until she heals... you really did a number on her, darling." replied Suki cheerfully.

Kankuro emerald eyes narrowed as he heard his blond virago say, "Akashi... oh you mean that brunette bimbo? Feh, stupid bitch... from what I noticed they're certainly not missing out on much…"

Suki started choking on his tea at the young woman's words and felt Yukio move behind him to gently pat him on the back before finally murmured in a strangled voice, "Uh... thanks. There's a flyer on the counter out the front that has the information about the amateur's night. I usually close early that night... maybe if you two are interested in going... you can meet me here an hour before show time?"

Kankuro glowered over the extravagantly dressed man's head at his charming partner as her watched her close her little trap quite neatly around their new friend.

"That would be lovely, Suki... I'm sure that it will be a lot of fun." replied Ino with a wide smile.

The sand nin moved over to the little vixen and gently pulled her to her feet, before smoothly replying to their gracious host, "Well, Suki... we should probably head back to the inn now but we'll be back to pick you up for Amateur's night."

The small man in the colorful yukata watched in wide eyed wonder and delight as the couple swept through the shop, stopping briefly to pick up a Happy Times Events flyer before leaving through the front door.

_Well... it didn't take a genius to figure out where **that** man was going in an all fire hurry... not that the dear girl was complaining if that unholy smile on her face was any indication..._

Yes... he couldn't wait to tell Chi Chi tomorrow over their usual tea date about _this_!

--------------------------0--------------------------

"Wow... you've gone all cave man on me again, sweetheart. I wonder what set you off this time?" murmured the blond trailing behind the glowering man in a gleefully happy voice.

"If you must know, _Ayame_... I really don't like the idea of taking you into a strip club." growled Kankuro in a furious undertone.

"Yukio...stop." murmured Ino softly, effectively halting the large man in mid stride.

She waited until he turned to face her before pulling him close and whispered in his ear, "Kankuro, I promise I will be careful but we both know that I need to do what is necessary to make this mission a success...despite what is currently happening between us."

Kankuro closed his emerald eyes with a low drawn out sigh before snapping them open once more and murmuring in a low voice, "I know, Ino but it still doesn't make it any easier to deal with."

Ino contemplated the still glowering puppet nin in front of her before confessing in a small voice, "If it's any consolation, Yukio... I...find...I have the same problem."

The sand shinobi looked down at the young woman's hand still resting on his upper arm for a while before finally replying under his breath, "You and I really need to have a chat when all this is said and done... and before you consider it, I wouldn't recommend you trying to avoid it..."

Ino looked up into Kankuro's determined features and sighed inwardly.

Yes, she knew as soon as this mission was completed and before the sand nin needed to leave for his home in the village hidden in the sand, they would having a long and serious chat about their relationship.

_Oh goody... she knew it was going to be inevitable to avoid it but she was looking forward to that talk like she was to having root canal surgery... a part of her was dreading that it will be just as painful because she had no intention of letting him have it all his way._

"Fine... unless we need to see someone else tonight... let's just go back to the inn already... I'm tired all of a sudden." murmured Ino with ill-mannered grace before finally turning away to start walking down the road once more.

The blonde felt a small smile tug at her lips when she heard the large man behind her give out a throaty chuckle and knew for the moment that his good humor had been restored.

_It was good to know that she could make him laugh... that was indeed an encouraging sign..._

She looked up as Kankuro caught up with her and once more held her hand as they made their way back to the inn.

_She certainly could get used to being around him all the time, that's for sure._

------------------0--------------------

Ino was fighting a rapidly losing battle.

She had been hoping to open that box as soon as they had entered their room at the inn but it seemed that the puppeteer had plans of his own.

He had waited until she had closed the door before sweeping her up in his muscular arms and finally claiming her lips in a scorching kiss that left no room for doubt as to what plans he had for the rest of the evening.

She was therefore a little surprised and more than a little frustrated when Kankuro released her to draw some much needed oxygen into her starved lungs.

"I've been wanting to do that ever since you did that thing with your foot...but I couldn't trust myself to leave it at a mere kiss then." confessed the large sand nin heatedly against the flushed skin of her forehead.

"Really?" squeaked Ino in a voice that refused to work.

"Yes... really... which is why you'll probably be pleased to know that I'm going to let you sleep unmolested tonight." replied Kankuro in a wry tone of voice before turning away from her.

"Oh..." replied Ino in a crushed voice, only to feel the large sand nin's hand cupping her face gently.

"Hell, sweetheart...don't be that way! You know very well that I want you...but I'm not a completely heartless bastard... you need time to adjust… to the changes in our relationship, that's all." replied Kankuro with a groan.

_Oh. Of course..._

"Um... I don't mind...really." replied Ino in a shy voice.

Kankuro pulled the blond woman closer and rested his chin on her head while drawing her into his arms once more.

"Shit, Ino... you're not helping me here... I'm still feeling a little bad about jumping you this afternoon. I had good intentions then as well but... things got carried away..." growled Kankuro in a low undertone.

"Oh... that's why you went into the bathroom this afternoon. I, uh, thought you were trying to avoid me..." replied Ino sheepishly.

She gave a cheeky smile as she heard the large man give a disgusted grunt in response to her comment.

"I don't know if you've noticed this, sweetheart...but you're pretty hard to avoid at the best of times..."grumbled Kankuro under his breath.

Ino pulled back and looked up at him in shocked surprise before she started laughing, not at all offended by his candid remark.

"Baka..." murmured Ino as she lighted smacked his arm.

Kankuro stared wide eyed at this new and teasing side of his lover before returning her smile with an equally saucy one of his own.

He gently pushed her towards the bed and said, "Why don't you open up that second box while I go and get ready for bed. I'm sure you're curious as hell to find out what's in it, hn?"

Ino watched in bemused silence as the large man once again disappeared into the bathroom.

_There were times that he was pretty hard to avoid as well... he just didn't realize it._

--------------------0------------------

The low growl and aggressive banging on the bathroom door alerted Kankuro to the fact that his beloved virago was quite upset about something.

"Hell, Ayame... there is no need for you to bang on the door... you can come in... it's not as though you haven't seen me naked before." grouched out the puppeteer above the sound of the shower.

"Nuh..uh... no way! I want you to get your miserable ass out of that shower and put some clothes on...you... you... _chikan_!" called back a very disgruntled feminine voice.

_Oh shit... she sounds like she's pissed about something… knowing my luck - it's that outfit... Damn it! _

"What's wrong, sweetheart? You don't like it?" called back Kankuro with an evil smirk firmly planted on his lips.

A few interesting choking sounds could be heard from the now irate blond on the other side of the bathroom door.

Meanwhile, a flustered Ino looked at the door, trying to vainly vocalize what emotions she was feeling upon seeing that... that... outfit!

_Good lord! He wasn't seriously expecting her to wear **that**, was he?_

_Granted – she had worn more revealing outfits than the one in the box... it's just that..._

The door finally slid open to show an amused and now dressed puppet nin who watched the stunned blond still standing there in shock.

_Ahhhh... I see._

He was beginning to understand the situation and leaned forward then to whisper seductively in her ear, "Ino, you're gorgeous in whatever you wear... is it so wrong for me to want to buy you something...sexy?"

Ino twisted her hands nervously in front of her before mumbling, "W-why this outfit?"

She shivered as she heard his wicked chuckle slide sensuously down her spine as he replied with a soft growl, "Hell, Ino... when I first saw that outfit on the wall... there was no question that I needed to get it for you... it accentuates perfectly the essence of what makes you so sexy...and besides with your legs, you'll look incredibly hot in it!"

"Oh... I see..." replied the blond woman in wonderment before pushing the man back in the bathroom and closing the door on his surprised face.

Kankuro stared at the closed door blinking a couple of times before finally calling out, "Ayame...sweetheart, are you okay?"

"Um, yes... Yukio... just stay in there while I try on this outfit, okay?" returned a soft feminine voice.

_Try on this outfit? He didn't know what had just happened to change her mind but he sure as hell wasn't complaining..._

Kankuro cursed silently to himself as he felt the telltale trickle of blood coming slowly out of his nose as he imagined her in the tightly cinched black corset and the bright red flared skirt with the white lacy petticoat.

"Uh sweetheart... I just have one request... could you... put your hair in a different style...something... more fitting for the style of the outfit...?" called out the puppeteer, absently wiping away the blood with the back of his hand.

He could already feel his body react to the image of her dressed in the black fishnets and those wicked five inch blood red heels.

There was a pregnant pause on the other side of the door before he finally heard her reply, "Okay... I think I can do that...but honey, please don't laugh at me when I finally give you permission to come out of the bathroom, okay?"

Kankuro's head touched the door with a groan.

_Shit, Ino... sweetheart, the last thing I want to do is laugh at you while you're wearing that ensemble... I can't even guarantee that you're not going to go to bed unmolested after this!_

"Fine, sweetheart... just tell me when I can have a look, okay?" wheedled the sand nin optimistically as he closed his eyes and tried to calm down his raging libido.

"Um... okay... I think I'm ready... you can come out now, honey." called out the young woman nervously.

Kankuro thought he had seen it all but nothing prepared him for the sight that greeted him when he opened up that bathroom door and saw her for the first time.

His emerald eyes widened to tiny pinpoints as he took in the perfection of her form made more divine by the outfit.

_This was even better than any fantasy he could have conjured up! How the hell did he get so damn lucky?!_

He noted that the corset made her tiny waist even more minuscule... whereas the stockings and the shoes...wow.

It was however, what she had done with her hair that finally sent him over the edge. She had replaced her usual pony tail with two long plaits on either side of her face, completing the image of a Swiss Milk Maid that had been firmly planted in his mind since that altercation with the brunette the other evening.

Kankuro watched her as her hand fluttered around the neckline of the demure white fine lawn peasant top with the delicate embroidery.

"Um... does it look okay?" murmured Ino worried by the large man's continued awed silence.

He didn't answer as he fell backwards, a torrent of blood gushing out of his nose.

His last image of her before the darkness finally claimed him was a glimpse of those fine white lace panties as she leaned over him and asked in quiet concern, "Kankuro, are you okay? You're starting to bleed all over the floor..."


	10. Round Ten: Happy Times Indeed

**Author's Note:**

Yes – I know it's been awhile since I have updated this story and I'm sorry.

I needed to rewrite a couple of sections because I wasn't happy with it.

So – that last round:

OMG, people… I got the impression that I made a lot of the readership's weekend.

Those folks that weren't still twitching on the floor and recovering from blood loss seemed to be in the mood to leave me reviews… and ahhh, what reviews they were!

LOL – I am beginning to see that you little closet voyeurs don't seem to mind waiting on my sorry ass to post the rounds… and I love you for it! XD

Okay – a couple of concerns have been brought to my attention and need to be addressed:

Concern number one: I have had readers requesting to see more Gaara/Sakura action in this story.

My response: I have decided to keep their scenes to what is necessary for the story because they have the potential to overshadow the main pairing and that's not what I want.

This is a Kankuro/Ino pairing story and they deserve top billing.

However – since there has been quite a response, I have decided that there will be a side story to this one that will concentrate on Gaara's courtship of Sakura.

Concern number two: It has been brought to my attention that the sex scenes in the story are a little too much for some readers, despite the warnings in the author's notes.

I have decided after much soul searching that I won't be changing or posting an alternate version. I have however added indicators in the round so folks can skip ahead if they do not wish to read the naughty bits.

This round is dedicated to my loyal readers and my two incredibly talented beta readers.

Thank you – you make writing a joy and a true pleasure.

Special thanks to my two pre-readers: **wonderwoman29** and **tomboygirl21**.

Right now – this is the raw chapter and is subject to revision at a later date. The beta readers are busy having a life. (Author does a Jiraiya style thumbs up sign.)

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

This round contains scenes of a decidedly sexual nature, violence and a lot of bad language.

Okay – This round also contains a pole dancing scene as well as a citrus scene.

Again - if this kind of thing offends you, then you shouldn't be reading this story!

Some info for you:

Takaisaimi Sake is produced in the Tottori Prefecture and is said to be crisp and delicate in flavor.

Source for Sake Information: sake world. (Yes, that's the name of the website.)

PDA - public displays of affection. (Yes – some folks don't know what it means.)

The song that Ino does her routine at the stripclub is Superstar by Saliva. The lyrics are shown throughout the scene.

A ten thousand yen note is roughly eighty-three US dollars and yes, Ino is definitely worth a tip of that size. Yee-haw!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. I don't make a red cent out of this either. Enjoy my beautiful people, enjoy.

**Round 10 – Happy Times indeed**

_Four Days Later..._

Kankuro shot the laughing blond a dirty look. It had been better part of a week since that embarrassing little incident and she still thought the whole situation was funny.

The puppeteer reached back and gingerly touched the large lump the size of a goose egg on the back of his head before dropping his hand away from the still sore spot.

"You know... you're lucky that you've got such a hard head and we didn't need to go to the hospital for stitches." murmured that annoyingly cheerful voice before two arms draped around his neck.

"And I keep telling you that you grossly underestimate just how incredibly sexy I find you." groaned Kankuro as he felt her soft lips touch the swollen and still angry looking lump.

"Well, thanks to you...I am never going to make that mistake again." replied Ino with a soft smile, moving one hand up to his scalp.

The sand nin winced slightly as he felt her fingers gently probed the sight with a little healing chakra.

"Ahhh... Ino... are you almost done, sweetheart? It's starting to sting a little." grouched Kankuro softly.

"I'm done, baka..." murmured the blonde, placing a kiss behind his ear.

"Vixen... we don't have time for that right now..." replied the puppeteer with a sexy groan, feeling her tongue tracing the shell of his ear.

"Oh… I don't mind having another shower…later. I will be happy to scrub your back." murmured Ino seductively.

The puppeteer bit back the groan rising to his lips and sighed, "I wish we had the time for a quickie…but we need to get going, beautiful."

Kankuro tried to hold back the smirk when he heard her let out a very unladylike snort before she shifted away and off the bed.

_She's so damn insatiable... thank kami..._

"Do you want to meet up for lunch today, Ayame...or are you going to be too busy with the _girls_?" asked Kankuro as he stood up and reached for a clean Yukata.

Ino was having a tough time answering the question. It didn't matter how many times she had seen her baka puppeteer naked...she found it was something that she couldn't get enough of.

The puppet nin grinned evilly as he realized that his beloved virago was a little distracted and decided that she wasn't distracted enough as he started to strip the dirty yukata off in a slow and erotic strip tease.

Ino felt her mouth suddenly go very dry at all that hard flesh being revealed to her avid gaze, one tantalizing section at a time.

The blood started to trickle slowly out of her nose when she noticed that he wasn't wearing anything under the garment, yet again.

"Damn it… you do that just to get a reaction out of me, don't you?" groaned Ino, wiping at the blood as the yukata dropped to the floor and a naked puppeteer prowled over to bathroom with the clean yukata flipped negligently over one shoulder.

"Yes… and best of all, it works every time." purred out Kankuro before closing the door behind him.

The blonde quickly glanced over at the clock and groaned.

She needed to get dressed or she was going to be late and it was never a good idea to keep Suki waiting.

Ino slid off the bed and padded softly over to the bathroom and tapped on the door before sliding it open to admire the slick muscled body outlined by the shower curtain.

"What's up, Ayame?" called out Kankuro with a smile on his lips as he heard the door slide open.

"I need to get dressed and meet up with Suki... but I'll see you this evening?" asked Ino, a little unsure.

The man chuckled and murmured, "That's fine, gorgeous...I'm heading over to The Rusty Kunai to have coffee with Louie, so I'll see you tonight then."

The blonde let out the breath she had been holding on and turned to leave but paused when she heard Kankuro call out, "Oh, Ayame?... be careful."

She turned to find his piercing green eyes looking back at her and smiled gently before softly replying, "Don't worry... Yukio. I have every intention of coming back just to torment you."

She left the bathroom then, the sound of Kankuro's delighted laughter echoing in the background.

----------- ------------------ ---------------

_Later that morning..._

"Lah, good thing that the patrons are too drunk to care that you have all the grace of a pregnant sow, Etsuko... Do it again! This time, put some effort into it, you lazy little bitch!" sniped the deep female voice from inside the building with the large garish neon sign on its roof.

Ino and her companion paused at the doorway and gave each other knowing smiles before pushing the door open.

"You're in fine form today, I see... Chi Chi." called out Suki with a small smirk adorning his lips from the doorway.

The owner of the Happy Times swiftly turned her elaborately coiffed head and clapped her large manicured hands in delight when she saw her two guests standing there.

Chi Chi gave a small wave before noting that the blonde had a large bag on her shoulder.

"Ayame...dearest, you brought your stuff again?" asked Chi Chi with a delighted grin on her bright red lips.

Ino flushed slightly before she replied, "Ahh, yes... Suki persuaded me... He's determined that I outshine the rest of the competition...to be honest, it wouldn't hurt if I could get more practice on the stage. You don't mind, do you – Chi Chi?"

The elegantly dressed woman shook her head and replied, "No – not at all, Ayame... the way some of these girls are going in their practice, you may actually show them something new."

The whispers of "fucking bitch" and "rotten old cow" could be heard drifting out from behind the beaded curtains.

Chi Chi gave her guests an evil and all knowing smile before her head swiveled around and she gazed at the rustling beaded curtain with narrowed eyes.

"Shut it, you little cows! If you had half the natural talent this young woman has, you'd be raking in the cash hand over fist." screeched Chi Chi.

"You sure I can't persuade you and that man of yours to stick around a little while longer?" wheedled Chi Chi batting her false eyelashes.

"No... sorry, Chi Chi... Yukio was lucky to get this much time off... his boss couldn't do without him a minute longer than he needs to..." replied Ino sadly, trying not to think about when Kankuro would need to head back to Suna after this mission was finally completed.

"Oh... sweetie... oh... oh... shit. It's okay..." murmured Chi Chi hurriedly when she saw that sad look in the blonde's eyes before looking over at where her friend Suki was standing, who merely nodded in understanding.

"Well, honey... Why don't you go and get ready? You can use the same dressing room as before... and don't worry about the girls... they heard what you did to Akashi, so they sure as hell don't want to get on your bad side." replied Chi Chi soothingly, gently pushing the petite woman towards the back stage area.

The brightly dressed pair quietly watched the woman disappear before Chi Chi asked, "This husband of hers is pretty hot looking, huh?"

Suki chortled and nodded, "Oh Kami...yes. The man is a moving violation! If I hadn't seen first hand how he looks at her, I would have made a play for the man myself!"

Chi Chi fanned herself with a large hand at that comment and asked, "And he still has no idea what you two have planned for him then?"

Suki grinned evilly before replying, "Not a clue."

Chi Chi nodded thoughtfully and murmured, "Well, don't worry Suki darling... I'll make sure this girl puts on a show that they will be talking about for weeks..."

Suki laughed in delight and countered, "I knew I could count on you, Chi Chi... of course, knowing these two are going to be in your establishment on Amateur night certainly isn't going to hurt business, is it?"

Chi Chi looked at the petite male in the colorful kimono aghast and replied, "You kidding me?! I'll be turning folks away in droves once this gets out on the gossip mill...especially the way that girl moves on stage... Why the hell do you think I agreed so readily to this scheme of yours?"

"She's good, isn't she?" murmured Suki with a smirk.

"Lah, Yukio is a very lucky man...but I have a feeling that poor girl is going to be in no condition to even twitch an eyelash after he's finished showing his...appreciation of her performance." returned Chi Chi with a small smile.

Suki chuckled knowingly and quietly countered, "That's what I'm counting on, Chi Chi... can you imagine the babies those two will have?"

Chi Chi clapped a large manicured hand to the front of her Kimono and groaned, "If he's half as handsome as you tell me... they're going to be gorgeous!"

Suki sighed dramatically and murmured, "Mah, about time you and I had some excitement in this tiny burg of ours."

Chi Chi nodded in agreement before replying sadly, "Lah... I know what you mean, Suki... this is certainly a welcome break from the routine, that's for sure... speaking of which..."

The large woman broke off abruptly, turned her attention to the stage and screeched, "ETSUKO! Get your narrow skinny ass back on stage, you lazy little cow! Today!!... not next week!"

Suki pulled out a chair and sat down, eager to see Ayame practice her number.

_Yes... He doubted that their little village will ever recover from having these two visit... that's for sure._

---------------- ------------------- -------------------

_Meanwhile in another part of town..._

The burly bartender wiped the bead of moisture off the last glass and bent down to put it away, absently hearing the small tinkle of the bell as the door opened.

"So – you want your usual...Yukio?" called out the barrel chested man, not bothering to look up from his chore.

"Yeah...thanks... but not so strong this time... the sludge you served me yesterday barely qualified as coffee." murmured Kankuro with a small smirk placing a small bag onto the bar.

The man behind the bar stood up and gave the package a cursory glance before contemplating the man sitting in front of him.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked the bartender gruffly.

"It is... so - how about you throw out that shit you laughingly call coffee and brew us another pot with this stuff." replied Kankuro with a wry smile as he pushed the bag over to the large man.

He watched as the bartender picked up the bag with one strap and peered inside before looking over at Kankuro in surprise and gruffly murmur, "Where the hell did you get this?! This is the primo stuff!"

The sand nin let out a low and knowing chuckle and responded, "I have my ways, Louie... why don't you get a pot started and we'll see if it's as good as all the hype, hn?"

The bartender grinned before disappearing into a small room in the back and returning a little while later with a broad smile on his scarred face.

"It certainly smells a lot better than the other stuff...so – where did you get it?" questioned Louie as he leaned on his bar.

Kankuro laughed and replied, "Hisa over at the general store regularly special orders it in..."

The puppeteer watched in delight as the ruddy flush appeared on the big man's face at the mere mention of the petite shop keeper's name.

_Funny enough – he knew exactly what the poor guy was going through. Ino always seem to be able to turn him inside out as well with just a look._

They heard the tell tale gurgling of the coffee pot finishing brewing and Louie pushed himself away from the bar.

He returned a short while later with two cups of the fragrant brew in hand.

Kankuro grabbed the cup with a relieved smile, taking a swallow before closing his eyes with a sigh, "Ahhhh! This is much, much better... don't you agree, Louie?"

The sand nin opened his eyes and saw the large man nodding in agreement.

They drank in companionable silence before Kankuro slid a hand down into his pocket, fishing out a folded piece of parchment and placing in on the bar.

"What the hell is that?" asked Louie suspiciously.

"Why don't you open it and find out, baka?" countered Kankuro slightly amused to see the man who could put the fear of god into a bunch of drunken regulars, break out into a sweat at the thought of reading a note from a small slip of a shop keeper.

Louie took a nervous swallow before reaching out and snatching the note out of the other man's hands.

The puppeteer drank his coffee in silence but started to get concerned when he saw the large man in front of him suddenly get rather pale.

"What's wrong?" asked Kankuro with a frown.

"She said yes... she'd love to go out on a date with me... she also wanted to know why the hell it took me so damn long to ask her." murmured Louie hoarsely.

The sand nin couldn't help it. He let out a knowing chuckle.

"I told her that you would pick her up Monday night at around seven pm...Just be yourself...remember to bathe, put on some good clothes to impress her and try to have fun...simple. " murmured Kankuro with a wry smile.

"Yeah... real simple. How do you deal with it, Yukio? I mean… no offense but your woman is only a little slip of a thing herself ….rather than being terrified, she gave my brother hell for touching her." responded the large bartender with a twist of his lips.

"Heheheh... you know the old saying, Louie... it's not the size of the dog in the fight but rather the size of the fight in the dog... tiny women just have no fear." countered Kankuro with a small smile before he took another sip of his coffee.

"Well, I'm still amazed as hell that Hisa wants to go out on a date with me." murmured Louie gruffly.

"The sooner you accept that Hisa has already gotten you bagged and tagged...the better off you will be. Hell – I've seen the way she looks at you... you're already hers as far as she's concerned." replied Kankuro with a knowing smirk.

"What?! I don't understand... I'm not much to look at... I'm covered in scars... I own the roughest bar in town, for Kami's sake!" countered the bartender in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter... as far as she's concerned, you're hers and heaven help any woman stupid enough to make the mistake of trying to take what belongs to her." finished Kankuro with a heartfelt groan.

"So, the gossips weren't exaggerating about that incident in the restaurant were they?" murmured Louie, the curiosity apparent in his tone.

"Hell no... the poor girl never stood a chance... Ayame didn't care that I had turned the woman down either." replied Kankuro with a wolfish smile.

"Holy Hell..." murmured Louie in awe.

"Yeah...but I sure as hell wouldn't want her any other way though." said the sand nin with a goofy smile.

"Yeah... I guess not." replied Louie knowingly.

Louie looked down at the bar surface thoughtfully before finally murmuring, "Well, I better not disappoint Hisa then."

Kankuro grinned in delight and replied, "That's the spirit, Louie...now, how was your evening?"

Louie took a sip of the coffee and gave a heartfelt groan before grumbling, "I had some strange ones in last night... and that's saying something for this place."

Kankuro hooded his eyes as the calculated gleam emerged in their emerald depths while he took a sip of his coffee and quietly murmured, "Do tell..."

_He hated fooling people... especially when they were as nice as Suki and Louie but business came first before the pleasure of socializing and he still had a mission to complete._

--------------------------------------------------------

Ino watched in mild amusement as the colorful man opened the door of the shop and sashayed over to a rack of costumes, leaving her to trail in after him.

"Suki...tell me again why do I need to find another outfit? I don't understand why I can't just wear the Milk Maid to..." broke off the blonde when she saw the effeminate man look up from his perusal of the clothing rack with a horrified expression on his face.

"No, no...sweetie... You never, ever, wear a bedroom gift to strip in...never - not with a husband like yours..." replied Suki in all seriousness.

"Oh." murmured Ino suddenly feeling foolish and embarrassed.

A colorful arm draped over the young woman's shoulders as Suki responded with a small tinkling laugh, "It's okay, Ayame... You weren't to know."

"So – that outfit is known as ...a bedroom gift?" asked Ino, now curious.

"Honey, anything that is purchased for the sole purpose of the man's personal entertainment is usually considered a bedroom gift, which means that you don't wear it in public... and most especially NOT for the entertainment of _other_ men... BIG no-no." lectured the gay man with a gentle smile.

"So – I can't wear... anything from it?" wailed Ino in despair.

_She loved that outfit... more importantly – she loved the effect she had on Kankuro in that outfit!_

"You just can't wear the outfit, sweetie... the shoes and stockings are fine." murmured Suki with a knowing look.

Ino reached out and fingered a black fishnet outfit for a moment before giving the flamboyant man a concerned look and whispering, "I don't think I can wear anything as revealing as this though, Suki."

_That's because you're no whore, darling..._

Suki clucked his tongue and murmured soothingly, "Lah – sweetie... you don't need to reveal a lot of skin to put on a good show."

"I don't...?" asked Ino in surprise.

"No... it's called a strip tease for a reason, darling. Why the hell should you give those drunken bums a look at your goodies?" replied the gay man with a sniff.

Suki removed his arm and walked over to another rack of clothes, a bejewelled hand riffling the coat hangers.

"So – what type of outfit should I look for then, Suki?" asked the young woman looking through another rack of outfits.

The shop owner stood up and tapped a manicured finger against his chin before his eyes lit up and he exclaimed with a wave of his hands, "I got it! We provide your audience with a fantasy... so uniforms are a good place to start."

"Okay, how about this?" asked Ino holding up a school girl uniform with a bright red tartan skirt.

_Not if you don't want to put on a live sex show with that yummy hubby of yours... _

_oh dear... is that blood?_

"No, darling... school girl is SOOO overdone." said Suki outloud, taking a dab at his nose with a lace handkerchief.

"Naughty Nurse?" asked Ino hopefully, holding up a white PVC nurse's outfit.

_DITTO... that outfit is just asking for trouble with this woman's man.. especially if he wants her to give him a public sponge bath... _

_(drool)_

_...but maybe as a bedroom gift, perhaps?_

"No... the PVC dress would get a little slick under those lights... and there's nothing worse than an overly shiny body, Ayame." replied Suki with a small grimace, dabbing at the side of his mouth with the corner of the handkerchief.

This continued for a while.

"Cop?"

_Only if Chi Chi and I can watch you put the handcuffs on Yukio!!_

"Overdone, sweetie."

"Playboy bunny?"

_Only if Yukio dresses up as a Playgirl centerfold... yummies!_

"No."

Ino was at a loss as to what she should wear after nearly an hour of the gay man vetoing every outfit she lifted up for inspection before giving the Milk Maid costume a longing look.

_It was a shame that she couldn't just wear __**that**__... it was sexy without being slutty._

She gave the wall a cursory glance but found her eyes drawn to one outfit in particular.

"How about that?" asked Ino with a confident smile, pointing to the ensemble on the wall.

The man turned to see what she pointing at and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the outfit.

_Lah – that's the perfect outfit to attract a predator like Yukio..._

"Perfect and I have the most darling little two piece that you can wear underneath it!" murmured Suki as the most perverted smile appeared on his lips and refused to leave.

------------------------------------------------------------

Gaara drummed his fingers impatiently on the surface of the table as he waited for his brother to report in for the day.

He was in a foul mood and he was hoping that Kankuro would have some good news or even some advice to help ease the gnawing frustration he felt whenever he was in the same room as his pink haired tormentor.

She was still mad at him for that little stunt in the kitchen yesterday but in his own defense, he found that he couldn't help but take her up on her innocent offer.

The Kazekage smirked knowingly as he absently touched his left cheek, remembering the slap she delivered him, despite his ultimate defense.

The scroll in front of him glowed, letting him know that his sibling was trying to contact him.

Gaara unsealed the scroll and saw Kankuro's message waiting for him on the parchment.

"_Good afternoon, lord Kazekage... how is your hunting going today?"_

The red haired man's smirk got wider as he picked up the pen and wrote:

"_She's got claws... I'll give her that... managed to slap me before the sand did its job."_

He smiled as he could see his brother shrugging as his words appeared.

_So, what happened to get that kind of reaction?_

Gaara tapped the end of the pen against his lips, his eyes gleaming in unholy delight as he got lost in his reminisce.

_Well? It must be good if you're not immediately writing a reply..._

The Kazekage put pen to paper and wrote:

"_Oh, it was... I came into the kitchen to get something to eat and found her sitting at the table eating a stack of pancakes... She asked me if I wanted some, so I told her that I would just have a small taste..."_

There was a pause before a message started appearing on the message scroll,

"_So, how was it?"_

Gaara grinned evilly as he wrote:

"_Sweet and very addicting... the pancakes were not bad either."_

The red head could well imagine the shit eating grin now adorning his brother's face as his message appeared on the scroll.

_Mwhoahahahah... you're lucky she didn't punch you through a wall... that would have been tough to explain to the Hokage..._

The Kazekage glanced over at the door before allowing himself a small chuckle before he started writing.

_Well, she didn't seem to mind the attention until she finally came down from that kiss I laid on her... then she decided to smack me because she was feeling embarrassed. Speaking of embarrassment – how is your head?_

Gaara smirked as Kankuro's message appeared.

_Hahaha... It's feeling much better thanks... Ino has been treating it regularly and the swelling has come down considerably._

The red haired man made a rude scoffing sound at his sibling's comment because he knew for a fact that wasn't the only swelling that the blonde was treating on a regular basis but instead wrote:

_You're lucky you have such a hard head and you didn't have to go to the hospital…this time._

Gaara felt a small smirk rise on his lips as he saw his brother's immediate reply.

_Yeah – that seems to be a habit around her…but I find that I don't mind the challenge._

The Kazekage secretly smiled at his brother's comment but sighed as he knew he needed to get straight onto the business at hand today rather than spend a little extra time discussing their respective...quarries.

_How are you faring with gathering information?_

Gaara tapped his pen on the table as he watched Kankuro's message appear.

_Ino's been hanging around the sex shop owner and his friend 'Chi-chi' this week... It definitely looks like we'll have a chance to follow Kabuto back to his camp after the Amateur night... According to Chi-chi... the man has become quite a regular... _

_I've also managed to get a good deal of information out of Louie over at the Rusty Kunai._

The red head looked over at the small scroll he received early that morning with a smirk and wrote back.

_Yes – you were most thorough... I was impressed... I take it that it didn't take much to garner his co-operation?_

Gaara let out a small evil chuckle as his brother's reply appeared on the message scroll.

_No... not really... it turns out that his brother was the man that tried to force himself on the vixen... so he was grateful that I didn't kill his sibling for his stupidity... also promising to track down some half way decent coffee for the man didn't hurt either._

The Kazekage let out a heartfelt amen at the thought of having good coffee every morning... being the man in charge did have its occasional advantages.

_Good job, Kankuro... when do you anticipate being able to return back to Suna?_

Gaara missed his brother's visits... and quite frankly, even though the daily scroll sessions were entertaining... it wasn't the same as talking to his sibling in the flesh.

Kankuro seemed to sense the real reason behind his question as his reply flashed onto the scroll:

_Don't worry, Ototo...I will try to wrap this mission up as quickly as I can... promise._

Gaara nodded in satisfaction before replying:

_I will hold you to that, Aniki. What do you plan on doing about the kuniochi from the leaf village?_

A thoughful expression appeared on the red head's face as his brother's reply appeared on the scroll.

_I wish I knew, Gaara... I'm tempted to just kidnap the little shrew and keep her locked up in my room indefinitely but I have a feeling that she wouldn't be too thrilled about it... I would like a more...permanent arrangement with the vixen but... I don't want to push the issue._

Gaara nodded in understanding at his sibling's precarious situation with the blond and knew that she would fight him every step of the way before finally giving up the struggle. He just wished that he had some words of advice to offer Kankuro...

The kazekage felt the small smile on his lips as he saw his brother's message appeared.

_Don't worry about me, Ototo... I will figure out something with Ino... it's just going to take a little time, that's all._

The red head growled in frustration as he wrote back.

_I still expect to receive your report this evening as soon as the blond returns._

Gaara could hear the smirk in Kankuro's voice as his message appeared:

_I understand, Kazekage-sama. Speaking of blondes – how is Temari? Is she doing well?_

A feral gleam appeared in the young man's jade eyes as he replied:

_Our sister is indeed doing well... she just arrived back from Konoha this morning... with a couple of souvenirs on her neck._

Gaara was grinning evilly as a message appeared on the scroll.

_Really? Hickeys... how...interesting._

The Kazekage laughed knowingly as he heard the door of his office open and a female voice hiss, "I should have known that you couldn't keep this to yourself."

Gaara shrugged as he wrote:

_Temari's here..._

Temari stalked over to the table, grabbed the pen from Gaara's hand, turned the scroll around and wrote:

_I have a bone to pick with you, Puppet Scum...what the hell did you say to that lazy ass bastard?!_

Gaara's eyes lit up in unholy delight as Kankuro's reply appeared on the scroll:

_Nothing that didn't need to be said, dearest sister... I don't see why you're bitching about it... you obviously reaped the...benefits of my little pep talk to the shadow wielder..._

The Kazekage watched in amused silence as Temari went bright red, wrote a one word reply and stormed out of the room, highly embarrassed.

He watched the door for a while before he turned the scroll around to read Kankuro's comment.

_I take it she left then? A pity... I was hoping to hear some juicy details..._

Gaara laughed.

---------o--------------o---------------o----------

_Amateur Night_

Ino was feeling uncharacteristically nervous as she walked next to the large man who was her mission partner and recently, had become her lover.

It had been difficult enough to keep this a secret all week and now she was having serious doubts that she could actually go through with this – despite having Chi Chi and Suki's help.

"Relax, Ayame... there's no other woman that I'm gonna see on that stage tonight that is ever going to compare to you." murmured Kankuro softly, secretly amused by his vixen's preoccupation.

Ino stiffened in shock for moment before realizing that he said it out of reassurance.

"Oh, I am sure that there will be one or two with better legs than mine." replied Ino with a bite to her tone.

Kankuro held back the smirk that threatened to appear on his face as he countered softly in a husky voice, "Maybe... but none will ever have your fire, beautiful."

Ino stopped walking and turned to stare at the man beside her.

"You're seriously not interested in other women, are you?" asked Ino in wonderment.

"Nope. I've made my choice." murmured Kankuro quietly.

"I'm a poor choice then." muttered Ino under her breath.

"I beg to differ." responded the puppeteer leaning over to kiss Ino on the forehead.

Suki watched in amusement as the striking couple stopped in the middle of the road and appeared to be having a conversation before he saw that hunk of beef cake lean down and give the blonde a chaste kiss on the temple.

_Gorgeous, gorgeous man...it was such a shame that he didn't play for his team._

Suki sighed before clapping his hands loudly and calling out, "Okay, you lovebirds... enough of the PDA... we need to get going... it's not a good idea to keep Chi Chi waiting."

"I thought you enjoyed a good show, Suki." drifted out that deep husky voice.

The petite man could feel his face going bright red at the other man's sexual innuendo before he finally squeaked, "Enough, you bad man... we need to get going. Trust me, darling – you never want to see Chi Chi's dark side."

Suki felt his insides turn to mush as he heard that sinful laugh echo in the night and heard Yukio murmur, "You're right, Suki... why don't we get going here and you can tell me a little bit about the infamous Chi Chi along the way, hmmm?"

---------------------------------------------------------

"Good god, Suki... tell me that I've died and gone to heaven. Are you here to save me, darling?" asked the elaborately dressed drag queen.

Kankuro gazed at the large broad chested Audrey Hepburn look a like holding court at a table directly in front of the stage and murmured in a wickedly sultry voice, "I don't know, sweetheart... do you need saving?"

Chi Chi felt her heart race a mile a minute when she heard that dark bedroom voice of his and raised a hand to fan her heated face.

Chi Chi looked over at her smirking friend and countered with a simper, "Honey, I always need saving...most especially from myself. I can see that Suki wasn't exaggerating... you're quite the bad boy, aren't you – Yukio?"

"I prefer the term _misunderstood_... I can always be good...for the right woman." replied the dark and dangerous man with a wicked smile.

Chi Chi stared at the male in shock before turning her gaze to the petite blonde and giving her a sly smile.

"Ayame - It must be terrible having to deal with a man who has an answer for everything." murmured Chichi in a lamenting tone.

The drag queen laughed in delight as she watched the blonde go bright red at the comment as she turned her face away but not before Chi Chi noted the telling expression on the young woman's face.

_Lah – lucky girl... it's obvious he's a handful to deal with but judging by that look on her face...I'd say that she deals with it because he's pretty good in the sack._

"I noticed Hourouki is standing nearby... is it going to be one of those nights Chi Chi darling?" murmured Suki with a small smirk on his lips.

Chi Chi looked up at her friend and gifted him with a knowing smile of her own before inclining her head with a slight nod, "Yes – it seems that word got around that Akashi would be missing out on Amateur night until she recovered from her injuries... so we've had quite a large turn out this evening."

Suki noticed the young woman beside him go a little pale at the revelation and he leaned close to whisper, "Don't stress, sweetie... Chi Chi and I have everything under control."

Ino tried to keep the inner panic she felt rising up to take hold and nodded when she heard the small man's whispered words of comfort.

"One of those nights?" asked Kankuro with a dark eyebrow raised.

Chi Chi turned, hypnotized by that deep sultry voice of his and was hard pressed not to start drooling at the sight of that elegant eyebrow raised in challenge.

_Kami! He's got the face of a fallen angel, this one..._

The drag queen glanced over at her friend and noticed that one was trying to hold back the sympathetic smile she just knew was lurking in the background.

_Oh, hell. Suki, darling... you're a saint for having to deal with this man in your store for as long as you have and not once have you jumped him..._

"It's club policy for the ladies to sign in early for the Amateur's night. We have them check in their music choice a day early, so it gives us a chance to get properly prepared..." replied Chi Chi, feeling a little faint as she continued to look at the large broad chested man.

"Chi Chi can tell what type of night it's going to be by looking over the DJ's final play list before she opens the club for business." countered Suki with a sly smirk.

"So – I'm guessing that I'm going to require copious amounts of alcohol to survive Amateur night?" asked Kankuro with a quirk of his firm lips.

Chi Chi watched in fascination as that little smile of his turned into a full blown grin.

She heard Ayame let out a tiny groan of dismay before she heard him reply, "Well, in that case, Chi Chi... tell Hourouki that I enjoy my alcohol like my sex... hard, straight up and plenty of it."

Chi Chi felt her cheeks flush as she felt her jaw drop.

_This man! So naughty! It had been a long, long time since someone had gotten the best of her in a conversation..._

"Yukio..." growled out the blonde in a hiss as Suki gave into the urge to laugh.

"Lah – it's okay, Ayame... I'm not offended...more intrigued than anything else. My, my... you certainly are a handful, Yukio. I can see that I'm going to have to keep an eye on you, hmm?" murmured Chi Chi in admiration.

Chi Chi waited for the little group to join her at the table before she raised a manicured finger to signal Hourouki.

"Well, Hourouki... the first amateur is going to be on stage in a few minutes, we may as well order the first round of drinks. What will you have, handsome?" asked Chi Chi raising her own eyebrow in challenge.

"I'll have a bottle of Takaisami sake for starters...and a shot of Patron Silver Tequila later on in the evening." replied Kankuro with a saucy half smile on his face.

"Ahh, I see you are a man with refined tastes...in alcohol as well as women." murmured Chi Chi, glancing over at the vivacious blond woman sitting next to Suki, now more than a little envious at the young woman's good fortune.

The lights on the stage flickered as the music settled down to mere background noise and the MC walked on.

"Well, darlings...the colorful train wreck affectionately known as Amateur night is about to begin... Hourouki... you better grab our drinks before this one begins her act... I have a feeling we're going to need it..." muttered Chi Chi with a melodramatic sigh to the waiter before he left with a sympathetic look on his face.

---------------------------------------------------------

_One hour and thirty minutes later…_

"A big round of applause for Natsuki Sugiyama, everyone." called out the MC in a hearty voice, despite looking a little green in the face.

"He's so worth the money you pay him, Chi Chi..." murmured Suki, impressed by the man's composure as members of the crowd raced towards the rest room.

Kankuro grimaced and nodded in agreement.

_They sure as hell couldn't pay him enough money to deal with this on a regular basis..._

_Even he had his limits._

"Lah!! I'm scarred for life!" moaned Chi Chi covering her face with her large manicured hands.

"There, there... Chi Chi... it's okay... the talentless little walrus has left the stage now..." clucked Suki sympathetically patting his friend on the back in comfort.

"It could be worse, Chi Chi... you could be the one having to judge the event..." countered Kankuro dryly as the elaborately dressed drag queen looked up in horror at the handsome brute sitting beside him before screeching in a hoarse voice, "Hourouki... drinkies... NOW!"

A scantily attired waiter brought over a large pitcher of a bright concoction with three cocktail glasses.

Kankuro tried hard to prevent the smirk from coming to his lips, pouring out the drinks as he heard Chi Chi wail, "How could she?! She could have picked something else to strip to... anything but Madonna's _Dress You Up_... a classic forever ruined – thanks to her awful tawdry little act! I wasn't the only one horrified! You were a little green too, were you Yukio sweetie?"

Kankuro nodded and added with a grimace, "Yeah – Chichi... I really didn't need to see that much of her...charms that close up."

_There was a definite down side to being __**this**__ close to the stage!_

Chi Chi gratefully took the proffered cocktail from the handsome man's hand and tossed back the cocktail with a small flick of her wrist.

"The little hussy! A lime green fish net body suit and candy panties!! Pur-lease! I thought I was going to toss my cookies when she bent over and offered members of the audience an opportunity to take a nibble on those things... ewww!" spluttered Chi Chi with a shudder, holding out her empty cocktail glass for Kankuro to refill.

"I think it might be a good time to start enforcing a new policy over at the shop." muttered Suki under his breath as he took a healthy swallow of his cocktail.

_Yes – he was definitely making an executive decision and never, ever, stocking them in his shop! _

_The body suits or the candy panties..._

"Yes – I was kind of relieved that Ayame had to go to the ladies room... rather than watch that performance..." responded Kankuro sourly as he poured himself a drink.

He didn't notice the telling look that passed between the elegant drag queen and her flamboyant friend.

"Yes – it was tragic she missed out on that..." murmured Chi Chi with a small gleam in her eyes as she watched the staff finish cleaning up the stage and disinfecting the stripper's pole in preparation for the next act.

Chi Chi raised a scarlet finger nailed hand to signal the waiter once more and waited for the signal from the MC.

The waiter appeared with another pitcher of the fruity concoction as well as a shot glass containing a clear liquid, which he placed in front of Kankuro.

"What's this for?" asked the puppeteer, looking at his two companions now smirking at him.

"You're gonna need it for the next act, Yukio sweetie... trust me." murmured Chi Chi with a simper to her brightly painted lips.

"Really?" asked the large sand nin with a sudden gleam in his eye as the MC stepped onto the freshly cleaned stage.

"Let's give a big Happy Times welcome to our next amateur... the lovely Ayame Sakamoto."

Kankuro's emerald eyes widened in shocked delight as the stage went dark, only for a single blue spot light to flash on after a few moments and shine down on a shadowy, leggy figure lounging seductively against the gleaming brass pole.

The two friends watched in amusement as the man tossed back the shot and fished out a small pile of yen which he slapped down on the table in preparation for the next show.

"I told you that he was going to like this..." murmured Chi Chi slyly.

"The best is yet to be revealed, Chi Chi sweetie... wait until you see the outfit I put her in..." countered Suki with a smirk.

The drag queen gasped, "Oooh! Tell me..."

"Shh... Chi Chi... let's watch the show..." smirked the gay man with a small wave of his hand as they turned their attention to the young couple.

A bright spotlight replaced the shadowy light to reveal a young woman in a short scarlet cloak with her back to the audience, her long legs encased in black seamed fishnet stockings with matching black satin bows marching up the seam to disappear under the hem of the cloak. The blood red pumps on her feet gleamed in the light as she stood there, against the pole, a wicker basket looped over the arm lightly caressing the brass pole.

The hard driving beat of the music started as the woman swivelled around to slither seductively down the pole, her face finally revealed to the crowd.

"Oh hell..." murmured Kankuro, his mouth going dry at the sight of Ino dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood.

She looked so deceptively innocent as she swivelled her hips seductively to the beat of the music.

_Hell – he wanted to lead her astray... take away that good girl aura of hers..._

He watched transfixed as the arm with the basket reached up to hold onto the pole as her body slid up the pole, her full skirt pressed against her and the unforgiving surface.

The arm holding the basket let go of the pole to trail down the front of her body.

Kankuro licked his suddenly dry lips as she took another turn around the pole with the basket balanced in the crook of her elbow on the outstretched arm.

_Her little hip gyrations were driving him nuts... and where the hell did she learn to move like that?!_

"Suki! You're a bloody Genius!" squealed Chi Chi as she clapped her hands together in delight.

"Lah – Ayame deserves all the credit... she picked the outfit, after all..." replied Suki with a perverted smile.

Kankuro felt like a hungry predator laying in wait as he tracked her movements on the stage.

_Now has come the day that I take the lead and I make you follow.  
Toast the champion cause I came for greed and not for tomorrow._

_If it feels good then it feels good and I do it all day.  
You want me to play you best bring your brain, you best bring your money. _

She released her grasp on the pole to slink to the front of the stage, her little basket swinging on her arm as her other hand reached up to release the clasp on the hood.

Kankuro watched in delight as she dipped low in front of him showing him a generous amount of cleavage thrusting up from the top of her peasant blouse.

_Make me a superstar.  
No matter who you are. _

She placed the basket at the front of the stage with a low sweep of her arm and sent her cape flying to the side of the stage with a flick of her other wrist as she gyrated up to a standing position, her hands ghosting up her torso to the music.

Ino shot Kankuro a smouldering look as her hands slid up the side of her breasts and continued up the side of her neck before flicking one of the pig tails forward, licking her bottom lip seductively with that pink tongue of hers before finally turning away.

Kankuro bit back the groan that came to his own lips at her blatant invitation.

_Hot damn... _

Kankuro felt a possessive pride engulf him as he tracked the blonde's retreating figure in the tightly cinched black PVC corset and bright red velvet skirt.

_She was incredibly beautiful... and she was all... his._

Ino prowled over to the gleaming brass pole and grasped it firmly, one hand above the other as she ground against the hard surface.

"No fucking way..." murmured Kankuro in hushed awe to the amusement of his audience at the table as he realized what his little vixen was about to do, watching her take a small step back from the pole.

_Razorblade and lines and I walk the line without feeling no one.  
Damn my throat is dry, I can't taste the wine from these empty bottles._

_Films and magazines its all what I need and all what I planned on.  
Where's my limousine._

_It's just a dream that I won't wake up from._

Ino launched herself onto the brass pole, wrapping one long stocking clad leg around the pole as she leaned back and swirled around the pole with the other leg extended.

Kankuro watched in silent awe as her foot gracefully touched the stage before once more pushing herself off the ground to twirl around the pole with bent knees.

"Oh Hell..." whispered the puppet nin in reverence, his eyes never leaving the sexy creature who seemed to be doing her best to get him all hot and bothered.

_It was working... oh, yes – it was definitely making __**quite**__ the impression on him!_

"Look at him, Chi Chi... he's drooling!" crowed Suki in delight, gently nudging his friend.

"Hehe... honey – drool is going to the _least_ of his troubles after he sees what she does next." murmured Chi Chi maliciously, watching the large man licking his lips.

Kankuro felt the telltale twinge of a nosebleed as he watched her gracefully land in front of the pole and grasped the front of her top.

_Make me a superstar.  
It don't matter who you are.  
Make me a superstar.  
No matter who you are._

A roar erupted from the delighted largely male audience as they watched the young woman tear off her peasant top to reveal a frilly black and red bikini top that revealed a lot of cleavage.

Kankuro placed a large hand under his nose as his nose started to drip in earnest now, his eyes locking on the vision dancing seductively across the stage.

The large man looked down in as he felt something being none too gently pushed into his hand and glanced over to see a highly amused Suki sinking back into his seat with a knowing look in his eye.  
He gave the effeminate man a gruff thanks as he wiped his bleeding nose with the delicate handkerchief and turned his attention back to the beautiful woman dancing for his pleasure on that large stage directly in front of him.

Kankuro felt his pulse start to race in excitement as he saw the devious little gleam appear in the blonde's blue eyes as her hands came to rest on her hips as she did a grind in front of him.

Ino flicked her long pigtails over her shoulder with a toss of her head as her small hands moved up to further accentuate the teasing gyrations of her waist, giving him a challenging look.

_He was more than up for a challenge...especially with her..._

Ino reached down and gave the full skirt a teasing switch as she pivoted and prowled back to the brass pole.

"Down, boy..." murmured Chi Chi slyly, putting her large hand onto the puppeteer's shoulder and gently pushing him back down into his seat.

_And all of my pills and all of my drinks is makin me, makin me.  
And all that I feel and all that I see is makin me, makin me, makin me._

Ino grabbed hold of the pole in one hand as she swirled around the pole, before she paused in front and arched her back, the bottom half of her body grinding against the apparatus.

"Hell…" murmured Kankuro, transfixed by that hot look in her blue eyes.

He felt another part of his anatomy becoming equally affected by the little vixen's performance and was beginning to wish that they were back in their room at the inn so she could grind up against a different kind of pole.

Chi Chi raised a delicate handkerchief to her nose as she heard the animalistic growl hiss out from Yukio's parted lips and watched as the man's large hands dug into the edge of the table.

The drag queen quickly glanced over at her friend and noticed that Suki was sitting there with a small grimace on his face and an identical scrap of lace held to his nose.

Ino stepped away from the pole, one hand tearing off the little corselette as the other hand gripped higher on the shiny surface. She swung her lithe body up onto the pole.

_Cover me in greed, cause you planted the seed when you fed my ego.  
Needless and disease for old invincible me like some kind of hero.  
Is it no surprise that I'm paralyzed by my fame and fortune.  
As I close my eyes and dive into the sky I'm dead 27._

Kankuro reached blindly across the table and picked up a small shot glass filled with a clear liquid.

_The suspense was killing him… he just knew she was going to do something very naughty… and he could hardly wait to see what it was…_

Ino shot him a particularly hot and naughty look before she leaned back, tossing her pigtails over her shoulder and did the splits.

The puppet nin gave the stage a tiny little salute with the shot glass before he tossed back the contents of the glass and set it back on the table upside down.  
Ino hooked her legs back around the brass pole as she rotated around until she was facing her audience of one with a hungry look in her eyes as she let go of the pole with her hands.

The audience erupted into catcalls as Ino's hands reached down to the floor, giving Kankuro and the rest of the onlookers a good look of her generous cleavage firmly held in by the lacy red and black bra top.

The audience let out a collective roar as the blond flipped off the pole before turning slightly to give everyone a saucy half smile over her shoulder.

"Unbelievable…" murmured the puppet nin in awe as she slinked back over to the pole.

There was a flurry of hands as yen notes were being stuffed into the little cane basket at a dizzying speed.

_Make me a superstar.  
It don't matter who you are.  
Make me a superstar.  
No matter who you are._

Ino's hand slid teasing over the surface as she ground her hips against it as her other hand teased down the side of her body.

Kankuro pushed himself up from his seat and leaned over the table as he saw her small hand tighten on the edge of the skirt before…

A deafening roar filled the strip club once more as the blonde woman tore the flared velvet skirt off her body to reveal a matching pair of frilly black and red lace hot pants.

The sand nin licked his lips in anticipation of the evening ahead as his heated gaze watched her continue to gyrate around that pole.

_And all of my pills and all of my drinks is makin me, makin me, makin me.  
And all that I feel and all that I see is makin me, makin me, makin me.  
And all of my pills and all of my drinks is killin me, killin me, killin me.  
And all that I feel and all that I see is fakin me, fakin me._

Kankuro watched her grip the pole once more to swirl once to stop at the front of the stage before pushing herself off to swing around the brass apparatus, one leg hooked about the pole.

He privately vowed then and there that he would try to organize a private pole dance for himself at a later date.

_Hell – it shouldn't cost that much to install a stripper's pole in his apartment... surely?_

Ino stalked across the stage, her blue eyes locked on Kankuro's own as she stopped directly in front of the owner's table and did a little hip grind.

The puppeteer didn't notice Hourouki swiftly remove all the glasses on the table as he watched her continue to tease him with her hot little body.

He also didn't notice Chi Chi give a nod to the blonde vixen on the stage and was delighted when she lifted one finely sculpted and stocking clad leg, placing it directly in front of him.

Ino gyrated down to a crouch and stared directly into those hot emerald orbs of his, the heated promise of sensual retribution apparent in their depths.

"Are you enjoying the show, baby?" purred Ino as she touched his lean cheek.

Suki and Chi Chi felt the blood gush forth from their noses when they heard the large man growl out, "Hell yes... I'll show you later just how much I appreciated your little show, sweetheart...you'll be lucky if I can wait until we get back to our room."

They watched him bring up a hand and slip a ten thousand yen note down into the deep cleavage of the blonde's frilly bra.

Ino gave his firm lips a saucy little lick with her tongue before she danced back into a standing position and turned to step back on the stage.  
.  
_Make me a superstar, it don't matter who you are.  
Make me a superstar, no matter who you are._

_Superstar…_

Kankuro felt a predatory gleam enter his eyes as she sashayed back to the pole with a little extra switch in her hips.

He watched her hand trail up the brass, preparing for one final swing before she launched herself once more onto the surface with another roar of approval from the crowd.

Kankuro abruptly stood up and started clapping enthusiastically as Ino finally leaned back after the last sweep of the brass pole to give the audience a decidedly naughty look from her position on the pole.

The MC walked back on stage with a flushed look on his face as Ino finally reached up and swung down from the pole to take her bows and called out in a hoarse voice, "Big round of applause for the delightful Ayame Sakamoto!"

Kankuro was about to stalk over to the stage and pull her over his shoulder when he caught a brief alarmed look on her face before she tilted her head slightly to the left.

He swiftly looked in the direction she indicated, only to see a gray haired man with his back to him, seemingly frozen and obviously halted in mid flight.

"Suki, Chi Chi…. I need to go outside to clear my head before I end up doing something totally unforgivable and provide your guests with some additional entertainment. Could you please tell my gorgeous wife that I won't be long." murmured Kankuro in a smoky bedroom voice to the pair sitting there with their mouths open.

The puppeteer stared up at the stage and gave the little vixen standing there a tiny nod of his head as well as a silent promise to thank her for her little surprise later that night.

"Well, Chi Chi… I think that went remarkably well…. Don't you?" croaked out Suki as he fluttered a small hand in front of his face as the large man disappeared into the crowd.

--------------------------------------

"Who's your friend?" grinned the large bouncer as Kankuro emerged outside the club.

"Just some poor soul who's had too much to drink, Daichi. I didn't think it was a smart idea if your boss saw him about to pass out in her club." replied Kankuro with an apologetic shrug of his shoulder watching in silent amusement as the hired goon blanched.

"Yeah… good thinking… did you manage to find out where's he staying or is he too far gone?" asked the bouncer in concern as he continued to scan the doorway.

"Unfortunately not… but I noticed that there's a little 24 hour café around the corner. I was going to get some water down his system and sober him up a little… and then I will be coming back to see the rest of the show." replied Kankuro with a grin.

"Heheh… I kinda think that the rest of Amateur night will be anti-climactic after that hot little blonde's act… she was amazing." murmured the bouncer in awe.

"Yeah, I keep telling her that she's spectacular… maybe now she will finally believe me…. I'll see you soon, Daichi…" said Kankuro as he dragged the gray haired man lounging limply at his side off down the street.

"I'll be damned… what a lucky bastard." muttered the bouncer in deep admiration as he watched the large man disappear into the night with his burden in tow.

--------------y--------------y------------

(scene starts now)

"Wait! Slow down… what's the hurry?" murmured Ino breathlessly as she was dragged down the dark street and rapidly away from the strip club behind the stalking form of the puppet nin.

Kankuro let out a low frustrated growl as he glanced over his shoulder at the sight of a disheveled Ino trying to catch her breath.

He couldn't take it anymore… he couldn't wait until they reached their room.

"Yukio, now is not the time to do this…" groaned Ino as the large sand nin jerked her into a small alleyway and pressed her back up against the wall with his larger frame.

"Sorry, sweetheart… but I beg to differ… I did give you fair warning that this could happen." murmured Kankuro hotly into her ear as he bit teasingly onto the side of her neck.

"Can't you wait until… eeek… uh…." murmured Ino, her face starting to flush bright red in embarrassment as she felt the night air caress her bare flesh as Kankuro tugged down her panties with one large hand.

"No – it can't wait. I need to be inside you…now." replied Kankuro in a sultry low growl against her neck, smiling as he felt her breath hitch in her throat and her pulse racing under the pale skin.

Ino could feel her excitement mount as she heard the rasp of a zipper being pulled down before Kankuro lifted her up and…

"Ahhh… kami…" gasped Ino, her trepidation forgotten as she was impaled onto him.

"Damn it… it never felt this good Ino… only with you…" whispered Kankuro in a soft smoky rasp into her ear as he felt her eagerness grip him snuggly.

The blond could feel her insides turned to mush at his heated confession as he drove deeper into her waiting flesh and her finger nails dug into the muscles in his shoulder as her back grazed the rough surface of the brick wall.

"Holy….harder…. yes…." panted Ino as he gripped tighter on her hips and started to move in and out of her willing body.

"Harder?" murmured Kankuro hotly against Ino's shoulder as his teeth grazed her collar bone lightly.

"Yes…Yes…more….ahhh….Kami!!" gasped the young woman as he pounded away at a bruising pace.

Ino knew that she was going to have some bruises on her hips from his grip in the morning but right now, she didn't care…

Ino let out a piercing scream that echoed out into the deserted street as she felt her peak rapidly approaching.

"Hell… so tight… mine…" whispered Kankuro darkly as he felt the tiny tremors rippling through the blonde's body.

"No… you're MINE…bastard…all…. Ahhhh…mine!" gasped Ino as her hips ground down on his pelvis.

"Yes…yes… yours, sweetheart…only yours…" groaned Kankuro as he could feel his own peak approaching as her teeth bit into the soft flesh of his shoulder.

He felt it then… a strong rippling of the muscles from deep inside his sweet vixen before her sharp teeth broke the skin as her body clamped down hard on him.

He felt the nails scored deep into his back, hissing slightly as he continued to drive into her.

Their cries shattered the night as they reached their climax.

Ino held on as her orgasm drained her of her energy by its sheer intensity.

They stood there in the dirty alley and tried to catch their breaths, both overwhelmed by what had just occurred.

"Mmm… I think we should get back to the inn…" murmured Ino with a small sigh after a while.

Kankuro chuckled softly as he slowly pulled out of her and gently put her feet back on the ground.

"There… more presentable now…" murmured Kankuro with a small smirk in his voice as he tugged up her lacy panties.

The puppeteer adjusted his clothes and finally looked over at a blushing Ino, waiting for him.

"Let's get going, beautiful… we can continue this conversation in private." murmured Kankuro with a sexy half smile.

The blonde nodded as she took his hand before he pulled her back onto the main street.

They never noticed the small figure standing there in the middle of the street with a blood soaked handkerchief under his nose.

(scene ends now)

---------------------------------------

Ino stared in disgust at the gray haired man glaring daggers at her.

She didn't need to slip into his mind to figure out that he wanted to strangle the daylights out of her.

Kankuro had trussed the man up like a thanksgiving turkey and strung him up in the shower stall, hooking his arms around the shower head.

"How the hell am I supposed to have a shower if he's in there?" growled Ino, not at all happy.

"Hell – just draw the curtain back across and have a bath instead, Vixen." replied Kankuro with a small sigh.

He could see regret ghosting over her features and quickly guessed what she was thinking.

"Sweetheart… don't beat yourself up… you did the right thing considering the situation." said the puppet nin pulling the blonde into his arms.

"What should we do now? We can't let him go…" uttered Ino softly.

"It looks like I will be heading back to Suna in the morning…but I will come back for you after I drop him off in my brother's loving care." murmured Kankuro, giving Kabuto a sly and knowing look as the man stiffened at his words.

"You're leaving me behind?" asked Ino in shock.

"Hell…it's the only way, gorgeous… we can't afford to arouse any suspicion." replied Kankuro with a groan as he saw the hurt look in her eyes.

Ino gave the bound man another look, this time one of studied contemplation before finally nodding with a small smile, "No, no… you're right… I don't like it… but I understand."

"Sweetheart… I will be back as fast as I can…okay?" murmured the sand nin, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"I guess you need to start packing so you're ready to leave in the morning…" responded Ino with a sigh.

"I can do that later, gorgeous… first I need to show you my appreciation for that amazing little show you put on tonight…" grinned Kankuro wolfishly.

"Again?! Uh… sweetheart… do you think that's a good idea… with our friend there?" asked Ino in concern as she stepped back from Kankuro and tried to inch out of the bathroom.

"Absolutely, beautiful! It's not as though he's got much say in the matter anyway..." replied Kankuro before closing the door behind him.

Kabuto closed his eyes, his groan muffled against the gag in his mouth as he tried to shut out the sounds coming from the bedroom.

_Lord Kami…just kill me now…_

It was going to be a long night by the sound of things and the perverted bastard was just getting started!


	11. Round 11: Return of the puppet Nin

**Author's Notes:**

Yes, it's overdue I am aware of this. I have been working on it, people.

My personal life has been pretty crappy in the past year or so. It's kind of hard to be funny when the last thing you want to do is laugh.

Special dedication goes out to my beloved stalker, **Hedder**: I really appreciate the support you have given me in recent months - especially when there were times I was pretty much tempted to abandon this story. Thank you.

I would also like to thank those readers who sent me the encouraging PMs and email. This round is for you folks as well. :D

Alrighty then! This round contains humor of a sexual nature, violence and a lot of bad language. Kabuto has a seriously foul mouth in this round but intense pain and riding around bound in a trap puppet will do that to a person. Again - if this kind of thing offends you, then you shouldn't be reading this story!

As mentioned in previous chapters, there will be NO Sakura/Gaara lemon in this story. This is Kankuro and Ino's tale of courtship. I will be telling Gaara and Sakura's story at a later date and yes, it will have the lemon. No – don't ask when I plan to start writing that…I have no clue but it's a safe bet to say it will be after I finish up a couple of my stories.

You know the drill…read as always and review at your leisure… have fun, kiddies.

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

A sentence in _"Italics_ _and quotation marks_" denotes the thoughts of Inner Sakura.

Japanese words:

Oyaji – old man

Kanojo - sweetheart

Gay Terminology:

Troll – Used by young gay men to describe older, undesirable men.

Bag Lady - Ugly drag queen.

Queen Bee - The central figure in a group of homosexuals; usually, but not always, an auntie with money, an entourage, and numbers (sex partners). Frequently he is elderly and, most always, an agreeable person.

Source: GLTB Gay Slang Dictionary - /lou/dic/dic00.html

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or the characters. They are the copyrighted property of that genius – Kishimoto. I do, however, own Suki, Chichi and Oyaji. I don't make a red cent off my literary rambling either.

**Round Eleven – Return of the Puppet Nin**

_The Next Day…_

A soft tapping on the door alerted Ino to the fact that someone was there.

"Who is it?" asked Ino with a soft groan, lifting her head slightly from the pillow to peer with drowsy eyes over at the door.

"Ayame – sweetie... It's me, Suki. Can I come in?" called out a familiar voice.

"Suki? What are you doing here?" murmured the blonde in surprise.

"Yukio dropped over this morning to let me know that his boss called him back on urgent business and he asked if Chichi and I could look after you until he got back." replied the voice through the door.

_He did?_

"Uh... wait a minute, Suki... I was still sleeping…" called out Ino, slightly embarrassed to be caught still in bed.

"Somehow I'm not surprised to hear that, Ayame." replied Suki in a sing song voice.

The young woman shifted her leg but abruptly stopped when she felt all the muscles in her body protest mightily at the movement.

"AHHHHH!" screamed out Ino, feeling intense pain shoot through her body.

There was a pregnant pause before she finally heard, "Ayame... honey...listen – don't move. I will be right back...okay?"

"Okay..." replied Ino before covering her head with a nearby pillow.

_This was sooo embarrassing..._

Just then, the lock clicked and the door slid open slightly to reveal Suki in another colorful ensemble.

"Thanks, sweetie... much appreciated." murmured the petite man to the person outside before softly closing the door and rushing over to the bed, his face full of concern.

"Okay... honey...it's just us girls now... what's wrong?" asked Suki, removing the pillow from the blonde's head.

"It hurts to move..." confessed Ino, her face going bright red in embarrassment.

"There...there, sweetie... it's going to be okay." clucked Suki in sympathy, reaching out to push a lock of Ino's hair away from her tearstained face.

The man walked over to the door and opened it to quietly talk to the person outside before closing it once more.

"Okay, I just sent Akane to get Chichi and she'll be here soon. In the meantime, I will start filling the tub." murmured Suki soothingly.

"Wait….Chichi is coming here?! I-I should put on some clothes…she can't find me in bed like this." Exclaimed Ino, now starting to panic.

"Tut-tut…. Don't you go all prissy-missy on me now… I'm going to need Chichi's help to get you into the tub, silly girl." stated the gay man matter of factly, as he straightened out the sheet and tucked it more securely around the blonde in the bed.

"I'm sorry, Suki... I'm really embarrassed... about this." wailed Ino, cringing as she shifted slightly under the covers.

"Sweetheart, you have nothing to be embarrassed about... hell – there are women out there who would _kill_ to have a small fraction of what you get..." consoled Suki, patting the young woman on the shoulder before walking over to the bathroom.

"Suki?" asked Ino.

The petite man paused at the entrance of the bathroom and didn't miss the fact that there was a sash wrapped around the shower head.

_Well, well... there was QUITE a little party here last night!_

"What's wrong, honey?" prompted Suki, turning at the sound of her voice and saw the question in her blue eyes.

Ino worried her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment before she blurted out, "Uh – is it normal to feel...sore after...um...sex?"

_oh._

"Yes, sweetie... perfectly normal if you're still...new at it or it was a marathon session but the soreness will go away once your body gets used to it...and has a rest from all the activity." replied the gay man gently with a ruddy blush on his cheeks.

"Okay, I'm here!! Let me in, Suki." called out a husky female voice.

"Good lord, Chi Chi…don't tell me you ran here?" exclaimed Suki in surprise.

"No, you silly man…I was on my way over to your place when Akane found me…as if I would run and risk ruining my makeup." Huffed Chichi through the closed door.

"Oh Kami... kill me now..." groaned Ino in mortification as she tugged the sheet over her head.

Suki clucked his tongue in commiseration as he walked across the room and open the door.

Chi Chi's eyes widened in shock as she took in the smell and sight of the inn room before staring at the lump in the bed and murmuring in hushed awe, "Good lord... what the hell _didn't_ he do to her last night?! ...it smells like one of the back rooms of the Happy Times in here!"

Suki glowered at his friend and gestured to the woman hidden under the sheet and replied with a small hiss, "Chi Chi... please. It's very clear that the poor girl is embarrassed...no need to point out to _her _the obvious."

The large woman in the scarlet and beige floral yukata hustled over to the bed and gingerly sat on the edge.

"Sorry, sweetie... it's just that I haven't seen this much action since puberty. Can you move?" asked the drag queen with a light touch on the woman's covered shoulder.

"No... it hurts!" wailed out Ino, muffled by the sheets.

Suki and Chi Chi exchanged knowing glances before the owner of the Happy Times opened her large matching floral hand bag to retrieve a container.

She silently handed her friend the large canister before waving Suki off to the direction of the bathroom with a flick of her manicured wrist.

"Okay, sweetie... the good news is that you're going to live. We will get you back on your feet soon enough..." murmured Chi Chi as she gently tugged the sheet off the young woman's head.

Ino looked up in surprise and murmured, "Really?!"

Chi Chi smirked as she took in the look of shock mirrored in Ayame's eyes before moving her hand and touching the blonde on the nose with a perfectly manicured finger.

"Yes... really... but don't think we're going to patch you up without your solemn promise that you will dish about what happened last night…including what happened in the alleyway on the way back here." replied Chi Chi with a smirk.

"Oh Kami! You saw that?!" wailed Ino pulling the covers back over her head in mortification.

"It was pretty hot, Ayame… I thought I was going to die from loss of blood!" called out a cheerful voice from the bathroom.

Ino swallowed nervously before giving a nod and narrowing her blue eyes at the drag queen openly grinning at her.

"Fine..." grouched Ino with a loud sigh before muttering, "I warn you both now... you better be serving the good tea and Hisa's dango...or I'm not telling."

"Hell, honey... we'll even serve those cute little almond tarts and red bean buns you like so much...just as long as we get all the naughty glorious details." replied Chi chi as she got off the bed and scooped up the small blonde woman.

--

_That evening…_

"Are you two okay?" asked Ino in concern as she watched the pair reach for another linen napkin.

"Mah …sweetie… we'll be fine…nothing that a blood transfusion from a hot young shinobi stud won't fix." Countered Chi Chi with a small moue of her lips.

"And here I was thinking that I had seen it and done it all… boy, was I wrong!" muttered Suki under his breath with a grimace.

"Is my sex life _that _disgusting?" asked Ino in a horrified tone as she reached over and picked up a stick of dango.

The drag queen mirrored the same facial expression as the small blonde before her hand flashed out with a wild and flamboyant gesture.

"Oh, hell NO, sweetie… not at all…" assured the drag queen quickly.

Suki cleared his throat and countered, "What the bag lady here is trying to say is…"

"Who the hell are you calling a bag lady, you…troll!" screamed Chi Chi irately.

"What?! How dare you call me that!! You're _much_ older than me, Ms Queen Bee!" howled Suki, picking up a napkin and tossing it at his friend.

"Hag! You're jealous because I don't need to trowel on my makeup every morning!" replied Chi Chi with a hiss.

The effeminate man's eyes bulged in fury at the blatant insult before he picked up the cake server and waved it menacingly around in the air.

"You take that back, Hostess Cupcake Queen! I have a flawless complexion….FLAW-LESS!" exclaimed Suki outraged.

The pair heard the soft laughter then and pulled back in embarrassment before they turned rueful glances over at the blonde wiping tears from her eyes with one hand.

"Are you two always like this?" asked Ino with a teasing smile.

"Lah, Ayame…you should see us at the Annual sales…now – that's scary!" countered Suki with a smirk as he put down the serving piece and sat back in his chair.

"Forgive us, sweetie…as I was trying to say before sugar snax here interrupted, there is nothing wrong with your sex life. You're fortunate to have such an animal in bed." murmured Chi Chi with a smile.

"Does it ever… you know… slow down?" asked Ino looking down at the table with a small blush on her cheeks.

The two friends exchanged meaningful glances before Chi Chi cleared her throat and replied, "If you two continue to show this much passion in your relationship….then, no…I don't think it will die down but hopefully, if you're one of the lucky ones…you will find it gets stronger over time."

Ino looked at the two in surprise. Never in a million years was she expecting Chi Chi of all people to offer her such sage advice.

"How do I know that I am one of the lucky ones?" countered the young woman in a low voice, the blush spreading higher on her face.

The drag queen raised an elegant sable eyebrow before shrugging eloquently and replied, "Life's a crap shoot, sweetie...You don't know until you try but Yukio strikes me as the stubborn type. I don't think you will be getting rid of him in a hurry."

"Oh." murmured Ino, feeling oddly disappointed by the answer.

The two friends looked on concerned, watching the different emotions dance across the blonde's face.

"Soooo...Have you decided what you would like to do with your time while you are waiting for Yukio's return?" asked Suki with a warm smile, smoothly changing the subject as he propped his chin on his elbow and looked at the young woman with a great deal of interest.

Ino glanced at the two friends in mild surprise, not missing the eagerness on their features before replying, "No, not a clue but I can tell by those cat-got-the-canary-smiles you two have on your faces that you have a couple of thoughts on the subject, hn?"

Chi Chi traced a pattern on the embroidered tablecloth with a red finger nail as she smiled slyly and asked, "How would you like to earn some serious cash?"

Ino's eyes narrowed as she contemplated the pair before finally responded, "What do you have in mind? It better not involve one of the back rooms of the happy times either, Chi Chi."

Chi Chi gave a naughty smile as she raised a hand and waved it negligently in the air.

"No, no, no….nothing sordid like that, sweetie. We were thinking more along the lines of what you did at the Amateur's night…which by the way, you won."

Ino stared dumb founded at the drag queen for a few moments before glancing over at the gay man grinning happily back at her.

"I won? Are you serious?" asked Ino, watching the pair nod vigorously.

"How about it, Ayame? I dress you in something fabulously naughty from the shop and you wow the crowd on the pole on the main stage at the Happy Times. It would be easy money for you and besides, can you imagine the look on Yukio's face when he comes to pick you up and sees you working your milkshake?" said Suki with a cheeky grin.

Ino gave an evil little laugh and nodded, "I have a feeling I'm not going to walk for a week! Okay… when do you want me to start?"

"Ayame, it will be a miracle if you can walk at all if he catches you on that stage." Returned the gay man with a snicker.

Suki clapped his hands in delight as Chi Chi returned the blonde's crafty look with one of her own.

"You can start in a couple of days, Ayame. It wouldn't take long for us to find something suitable for you to wear from Suki's secret stash of goodies in the back room." Replied the drag queen with a delighted grin.

--

_Two Days later..._

Gaara and two teams of ANBU operatives waited patiently outside the Suna Village gates for the two figures to reach the base of the sand dune.

"Team five, go and assist him." murmured the Kazekage, keeping his eyes on the pair as they got close.

Moments later, the ANBU team flickered into focus next to Kankuro and the red head watched with a smirk as they retrieved a cursing and bound gray haired man from the confines of the battle puppet.

"Kazekage-sama, we have the prisoner in possession. Should we wait for your arrival before we begin interrogation?" asked the ANBU squad leader appearing in front of his leader.

Gaara watched his brother send his puppet back into the large summoning scroll before looking at the man struggling in his chakra enforced bindings in front of him.

"It's been a while, Kabuto." said Gaara in an emotionally devoid voice.

"Fuck you! If you're going to torture me – just fucking do it already." growled out Kabuto as one of the ANBU pushed him to his knees.

Gaara merely raised a non-existent eyebrow as a tendril of sand slivered over to firmly grasp the missing nin's chin and jerked his head upwards to meet the menacing light green orbs of the Kazekage.

"Maybe I should allow Kankuro the pleasure of interrogating you instead?" countered Gaara coolly, not missing the fear that crept into the man's eyes.

"NO!! NO!! I will tell you what you want to know - just keep that fucking sick bastard away from me!" howled the man, his eyes wide with terror.

"Very well... take him away." murmured the Kazekage with a malicious smirk on his face as he waited for his brother to arrive while the ANBU squad took the still cursing man away.

"Kazekage-sama." said Kankuro with a slight bow of his cat hooded head.

"I take it that your prisoner felt the full brunt of your displeasure then?" replied the red head dryly.

"Hai... now – if you don't mind... I need to get back." countered the puppet nin curtly, turning his back and heading back into the desert.

He didn't get far before tendrils of sand shot out and captured his arms and legs.

"I know you wish to get back, Aniki but you will do the return trip a lot faster if you have some food and a little rest." responded that cool voice from behind him.

Kankuro closed his eyes in frustration.

_He didn't want to bloody rest but he knew that his brother was right._

"Fine, Gaara...but you better have some decent coffee." bit out the large man as he felt the sand release him then.

"Naturally." replied the Kazekage in mild amusement as he watched his brother walk back over to him.

"Don't worry, Aniki... you will be back by her side soon enough." muttered Gaara in a low voice that could be only heard by Kankuro.

"Yeah, I know..." sighed the puppet nin in resignation.

Gaara glanced over at the remaining ANBU team and said, "Squad Leader, send someone ahead and tell the old man that I need the good coffee ready by the time I arrive back at the office – or I will be making a sacrifice to appease the spirit of Shukaku."

Kankuro grinned wolfishly as he heard the knowing snickers of the ANBU team.

They had been protecting the Kazekage long enough to know that he was joking.

The crusty old cook was in no danger of being sacrificed to the dead sand demon but it was always amusing to see how the man reacted.

_Shit – that never got old._

"Is he still making those weird cut out cookies?" asked Kankuro hopefully.

_They were very tasty – even though they were morbid looking._

"The Tanukis? Oh, yes... he regularly bakes a batch of those for me but he only makes the sacrificial Tanukis when he knows that I am expecting dignitaries from other villages." replied Gaara with a knowing smirk.

"Sacrificial Tanukis? ...damn – he's one very twisted old man!" murmured Kankuro in admiration.

"I'm sure we can persuade him to make you a few... they taste even better than the plain ones." replied Gaara temptingly as they walked towards the village gates.

"Yeah – that sounds good." countered Kankuro with a small laugh.

--

Gaara watched in amusement as his brother leaned back in the leather chair with his eyes closed and the hood pushed off his head.

"I take it that it was a difficult journey, then...judging from your prisoner's reaction?" murmured the Kazekage.

The puppet nin cracked open one eye and looked at his brother before replying, "Not at all... that bastard just got on my mean side by making a few choice comments regarding Ino."

"I was surprised when I received the message yesterday that you would be arriving here with a 'guest'. You were supposed to just gather information and then leave. What happened?" countered the red haired man with a small frown.

"He recognized Ino and tried to bail... that's what happened. We couldn't run the risk of being discovered, so she immobilized him to prevent him from running off and I took care of the rest." murmured Kankuro gruffly.

"Here's your damn coffee, you young rogue… and yes, it's the good stuff." Grumbled a voice from the doorway.

"It took you long enough." Countered the Kazekage with a smirk as the old cook wheeled a cart into the room.

"How's it going, oyaji? You still trying to sidestep the wrath of the Ichibi?" asked Kankuro, opening his eyes and grinning wolfishly at the man who had entered the room.

"Hehehe… I manage. I find that regular offerings to the demon's spirit have saved my old hide many a time." Replied the old cook with a bark of laughter.

The puppeteer laughed at that comment, knowing that there was a deep and mutual respect between the two men.

"Here's your lunch to go with that coffee, you young upstart… and you better eat it all!" warned the grumpy cook, handing a covered plate over to the redhead.

Kankuro watched in amusement as his sibling glared while the man placed a bowl of rice next to the plate as well as the promised coffee.

_Yes – it was just as well that these two found each other that sleepless night a couple of years ago…_

_It had turned out to be a rather fortunate meeting that had benefited both men in different ways._

"Young Kankuro…I imagine you're hungry, hn?" murmured that gruff voice.

"I'm always hungry when I know you're cooking, oyaji… so, what's this I hear about you serving Sacrificial Tanukis to the visiting diplomats?" asked Kankuro with a broad smile.

He heard the man give out a rusty laugh and retort, "Lah – I serve them at the council meetings too…but they always send them back untouched... humorless old farts."

The puppeteer looked over at his brother and shared a mutual smile.

The old man was right…none of those stick in the muds could see the humor in something like that.

The crusty old cook reached down and pulled out a tray of food for the puppet nin.

"Thanks, oyaji…" murmured Kankuro gratefully as the old cook merely nodded and shuffled back to the door, leaving the cart behind.

"You better eat everything, young Kankuro….or there will be no sacrificial tanukis for you." Growled the crusty cook as he left the room.

The young shinobi picked up their chopsticks and ate their meal in silence.

Gaara was glad to see his brother back in one piece, even if it was temporary but he had a gut feeling that there was more to the story of what transpired between his brother and the prisoner than Kankuro was telling him.

_No matter…the medical reports will arrive here shortly… they will provide him with more information._

--

The old man was wheeling out the cart when the two shinobi heard a hurried knock on the door.

"Who is it?" growled out Gaara, anxious for the cook to return with his tanukis and a fresh pot of coffee.

"Kazekage-sama…the medic nin in charge has finished her initial checkup of the prisoner." Called out one of the ANBU on guard.

"Excellent. Let her in." replied Gaara, feeling a smirk appear on his lips as he heard Kankuro groan when Sakura walked through the door.

"You! What the hell did you do to him?! You make Ibiki look like a rank amateur." growled the pink haired woman with a frown, jabbing a finger in his direction.

"Nothing that the bastard didn't deserve." Countered the puppet nin with a growl of his own.

The Kazekage stretched out a hand for the scroll and unfurled it, reading the document in silence.

"Kabuto must have said something highly objectionable about the blonde to warrant these injuries… I find myself rather impressed, Aniki." murmured the red head after a while.

"You did this to him because he insulted Ino?!" asked Sakura slightly aghast and more than a little pleased.

_(pumping fist in the air) "Yeah!! Way to go! Only we can insult the pig!"_

"Yes. She may be a handful but she's _my_ handful…and heaven help anyone foolish enough to malign her character in my presence." Bit out the puppet nin gruffly as the door opened to reveal the old cook pushing in a small cart containing a fresh pot of coffee, cups, some pastries and a earthenware kettle with a forbidden sign on the dome.

Sakura's eyes lit up when she saw the covered dish and exclaimed, "Oyaji! You made Sacrificial Tanukis today?! I love those things!"

_(eyes light up) "Quick! Let's get the biggest one before Panda-chan swipes it!"_

_(grumbles) Yeah… I'm way ahead of you…_

The crusty old man nodded his head with a decidedly evil cackle and murmured, "I saw you heading this way to see the young pup…so I made sure they were extra…juicy today – just the way you like them."

Kankuro's curiosity now more than piqued, he waited for the cook to leave before he lifted the cover off the kettle.

Large Tanuki shaped pastries, decorated with beige and black royal icing glared up at him from the dark recesses of the container.

It was the creepiest thing Kankuro had seen in a long time.

"Kankuro, can you hand me the one with the most amount of blood around its mouth?" asked Sakura cheerfully.

He reached in and fished out a large Tanuki with a generous amount of raspberry filling adorning its toothy grin, placing in onto a plate for the pink haired medic nin.

"Don't you dare start before I get mine." Growled Gaara at Sakura who was busy sticking her finger in the blood.

_(pokes tongue out) "Tcha! In your dreams, Panda-man!"_

Kankuro sighed as he handed an equally bloodied Tanuki to his sibling and heard him complain that Sakura got more gore.

"Enough! You're both adults… can't you eat these things without ripping each other's throats out?" yelled the puppeteer, feeling more like a referee.

Sakura and the Kazekage both pinned him with green looks of shock before replying bluntly, "No."

Kankuro fished out one for himself and stared at it for a while. He honestly didn't see what the fuss was… they were even more hideous than the plain Tanukis.

"I suppose there is a special way to eat these things?" asked the puppet nin with an air of resignation.

"If you want maximum blood spillage, I recommend biting the neck or the tail first." Replied Sakura helpfully.

Kankuro glanced over at Gaara who was smirking at the medic nin's advice.

"I can see that you've been spending way too much time in my sibling's company." Murmured Kankuro darkly.

The puppet nin stared down at the morbid offering and then glanced up briefly to see Sakura and Gaara looking back at him in anticipation.

"Fine…this thing better taste a lot better than it looks." Grouched Kankuro before he picked the pastry up and bit down on the tail aggressively.

His eyes widened in surprise at how good the light sponge cake tasted as raspberry puree oozed out of the Tanuki's head.

"Shukaku has been appeased." Intoned Gaara with a half smirk on his lips as Sakura giggled.

"I can now see why you two squabble over these things… it's delicious…but otouto – that cook of yours…" murmured Kankuro shaking his head.

"Yes, he's a little eccentric but I eat better and I don't need to worry about someone trying to poison me – thanks to Oyaji." Replied Gaara calmly before he picked up his Tanuki and bit into it, watching the raspberry puree explode out of its head with a good deal of satisfaction.

"Well, that's a small blessing I guess…" grumbled the puppet nin watching Sakura take a bigger bite out of her Tanuki and listened to her give a naughty giggle as the head popped off in an explosion of raspberry ooze.

"So, Aniki…I find I am curious as to what actually happened to your prisoner enroute to warrant the injuries listed on this scroll." Murmured Gaara as he gave the pink haired woman a nasty look before picking up the scroll.

"Shit, Gaara… can't this wait until…later?" griped Kankuro, giving the pink haired medic nin a meaningful look.

"No – she has a right to know as the Konoha representative. This is after all _their_ prisoner we have in custody." Countered the Kazekage with a frown as his tongue darted out to snag a trail of the red sticky goodness.

Sakura felt her breath lock in her throat and her face go bright red as she watched that tongue take swipes at the raspberry puree on the corner of his top lip.

_(drools) "Gah… He so needs to run that over us! I still can't believe you haven't sampled a piece of that, Sakura… look at him…seriously! We wouldn't be able to walk for a week after a night of that!"(evil laughter)_

_Shut it…I'm not listening to you…lalalalalala…_

"_I would kill to watch those tight rippling muscles of his bunching and relaxing as he drives into you…" (blood starting to trickle out of her nose)_

She felt something nudging at her hand and looked down to see a napkin there attached to tiny strands of chakra before picking up the scrap of linen to wipe off the blood she was now more than sure was there.

_Shit._

"Sakura-san… are you okay? You look…flushed." Drifted out the voice of her nightly fantasies.

"She's fine, otouto… she just had a little sacrificial offering on her face, that's all." Countered Kankuro smoothly with a warning glance at the medic nin.

Sakura swallowed the lump that had lodged firmly in her throat, understanding what the puppet nin was trying to tell her.

Gaara may have had his demon removed but he still got excited by the sight of blood.

She had made that discovery herself when she had cut her finger in the kitchen two weeks ago.

_(sighs) "Sakura…that was hot! I honestly thought he was going to tear your clothes off with his sand and take you against the counter."_

_(lets out a breath) I thought so too… it was just fortunate that Oyaji came into the kitchen when he did._

_(grumbles) "You would be pleased about the interruption…I'm still pissed with you over that! I was hoping to finally see some action!"_

_Oh? You certainly fooled me, little witch… as I recall – you were laughing like a little maniac when Oyaji barked at the Kazekage that he didn't want any special sauce in his kitchen._

_(snorting) "Yeah – that was pretty freaking amusing."_

Sakura felt her face flush in embarrassment when the red head's voice brought her back to the conversation at hand.

"Well, Kankuro… I'm waiting for your report." Growled the Kazekage.

The puppet nin looked at the pair who watched him with anticipation before he bit out in disgust, "Fine…I will submit my report but I'm going to be pissed if you decide to reprimand me for my actions because I don't feel one ounce of remorse for what I did to the bastard."

Gaara let out a slow smirking smile and replied, "Somehow I have a feeling that this is going to be quite the story then… you can begin, Aniki…"

--

_Flashback – two days ago_

The silver haired man hissed out in pain as the chakra string bit deeply into his flesh once more.

It was the sixth time that that man had attempted to escape and Kankuro was close to summoning his trap puppet and forcing the bastard to travel back to the sand village in it.

_Yes – Kabuto was starting to severely piss him off!_

"Why do you persist in trying to escape, Kabuto-san? You know that I have no intention of letting you go." Drifted out that loathsome and smug voice.

"Hmmph…so the little blonde bitch got lucky. You are not going to be able to detain me for long, puppet nin. I always manage to get away in the end." Replied the missing nin, the sneer apparent in his tone.

"Luck had nothing to do with it, shit head. She got you when you least expected it and you're still sore about it." Returned Kankuro in a gloating tone.

Kabuto let out a mirthless laugh and countered with a curl of his lip, "Don't make me laugh…the only real skill that kuniochi possesses is the one between her legs."

The missing nin watched in malicious delight as his comment hit its mark and the puppet nin tried in vain to keep a tight rein on his temper.

"Oh yes… she's a hot little number… moaning like a little whore all night, begging you to fuck her harder… screaming her pleasure for the world to hear… It's a pity you don't share… I bet she's a pleasure to ride." said Kabuto with a smirk as he watched the other man's face harden into an implacable mask.

There was no warning as the missing nin was released from the chakra strings, only to have them wrap around his arms to pull them up over his head, causing his back to arch in pain.

"Fuck! You miserable painted whore-son." Yelled Kabuto, spitting on the ground in front of him.

"Don't even think for a moment that you would _ever_ have her… it's not going to happen while I still have breath in my body." Growled Kankuro, chakra strings tightening on the shinobi's arm.

"Yes, it's going to be a pleasure breaking her after I kill your miserable hide." Continued Kabuto before letting out a pained groan as he heard his left and then right wrist break.

"Argh…fucker!" yelled the missing nin as he watched the other man calmly walk over to him and felt the murderous intent coming off him in waves.

"If you continue talking about Ino like that…I promise you that I will make this trip back to Suna as unpleasant as possible for you. I don't give a shit how many times I break your bones and patch you back up again." Warned Kankuro in a deathly quiet tone.

"Why do you give a shit? It's obvious that she doesn't care who's giving it to her." Sneered Kabuto as the puppet nin finished healing the left wrist, only to break it once more as he tightened the strings in anger.

"Holy….ARRGHHH! Fuck! What did you do that for?!" yelled the missing nin outraged at having his wrist broken for a second time in a short amount of time.

"I would refrain from talking about the future mother of my children in that way… Ino is mine…and I don't share….ever." hissed Kankuro pinning the other man with a piercing glare.

The gray haired man went pale momentarily in shock before his lip curled and he spat out, "Don't make me laugh! The only thing you will get from her loins is an STD."

Chakra strings whipped down to a knee cap and wrapped around tight until a sickening crunch echoed out along with a pain filled howl from the missing nin.

"Just fucking keep your shit up, Kabuto-san… and you'll discover just how close in temperament I am to my younger brother, the Kazekage." Growled out the puppet nin in warning.

"Hahahah… that fucking sick little psycho doesn't scare me…your sister has bigger balls than the two of you combined." chuckled Kabuto with a rattling wheeze as another set of chakra strings whipped out and did damage to the other knee cap.

"FUCKER!!" squealed the missing nin in outrage and pain, his breath rattling in his lungs.

Kabuto tried to pull away from the chakra strings holding him tightly but it was no good. He was caught fast and finally realizing that he was at the mercy of a furious puppet nin with some medical training. It was a scary thought.

The missing nin let out a small sigh of relief as he began to feel the familiar tingle of healing chakra being pushed into his body and slowly repairing the injuries incurred by the sand nin.

A few beads of sweat popped on Kabuto's brow as he felt the bones knitting back together before the other man's hand slowly pulled away.

He now understood the true danger he was in.

"I am not as skilled as you but I know enough to prolong your torture." Murmured Kankuro as he saw the realization dawn in the missing nin's eyes.

"Big deal. I am not intimidated by a shinobi whose abilities are on par with those of that pinked haired, thick browed, weakling apprentice of the Hokage." Sneered Kabuto with a slight curl of his upper lip.

"I would be careful what you say about her. My sibling will not take kindly to you insulting the woman he is trying to woo." Returned Kankuro.

The missing nin gave the other shinobi a jaundiced look with pain ridden eyes before spitting in the puppet nin's face.

"Yet another sand nin content to have the leavings of others. She isn't that much better than the blonde." Muttered Kabuto with a sly grin.

A blood curdling scream filled the air as chakra strings flew through the air and found its target with unerring precision.

"Screw it. You're traveling back to Suna in the belly of Black Ant. If I don't see you, I won't be tempted to kill you outright" murmured Kankuro in a chillingly calm voice before Kabuto finally lost his battle in blocking out the pain and passed out.

--

"So, I patched him up while he was unconscious and stuffed him into my trap puppet for the remainder of the trip back to suna. It was much easier to ignore the bastard and his snide comments if I couldn't see him but of course, there were a few moments where I couldn't help myself." Finished the puppet nin with a small shrug as he took a sip of his coffee.

The sliver of sand scraping the floor alerted Kankuro to the fact that his sibling has been displeased by his report.

"Are you going somewhere, Kazekage-sama?" asked the puppet nin dryly as he pointedly glanced down at the tendril of sand slivering towards the door.

His sibling gave a negligent shrug of his own and replied in a voice devoid of emotion, "I was merely planning to pay our guest a visit."

"I don't think so, Gaara. It would be tantamount to war if we kill the bastard." Countered Kankuro with a frown as he watched the medic nin launch to her feet and stalk over to the door, only to find herself caught.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Let me go! I'm going to kill that snake lover!" snarled Sakura as she looked down in outrage at the chakra strings restraining her.

"You are not going any where until you calm down, Sakura-san." Murmured Kankuro dryly.

"What?! The bastard referred to me as the local Konoha Bicycle! I'm not planning to let the little boot licker get away with that!" growled the pink haired kuniochi in disgust.

"The local Konoha bicycle?" asked Gaara with a quirk of his non existent brow.

"I will explain later, outouto." Muttered Kankuro under his breath.

"How dare he say that I will let any man screw me! I just want one man to do that to me and he's too obtuse to notice!" hissed out Sakura candidly to the surprise of the two men in the room.

Sakura stiffened in shock as she felt the strings holding her retract and heard Kankuro murmur, "I suggest you leave, Sakura-san before you get your wish answered."

The medic nin glanced over at the silent Kazekage before slapping a hand over her mouth as she realized what she just revealed and dashed over to the door.

"Too late, kanojo…I didn't realize that I was neglecting you shamelessly but I will correct that oversight momentarily." Returned Gaara with a slow smile as his sand whipped out and coiled around the pink haired woman.

Sakura swallowed nervously as she felt the sand wrapping gently around her ankles and travel upwards before glancing over at the puppet nin with pleading eyes.

She could feel her heart jump into her throat when she saw Kankuro lean close and whisper into his sibling's ear.

An undefined emotion flittered in those pale green eyes before Sakura saw the Kazekage give a curt nod and murmur, "I understand, aniki."

"What did you say to him?" asked Sakura as she took in the look of resolution on Gaara's face and the sympathetic look on Kankuro's own.

"I told him that he needed to be gentle, Sakura. You've never known a man in that way." Replied the puppet nin with something akin to regret in his tone.

"How would you know?" huffed Sakura in indignation as she pushed back her shoulders and folded her arms defensively.

The Kazekage rose to his feet and walked over to the captured woman.

"My brother has an uncanny ability to read people that is rarely wrong. Are you saying that he is incorrect in this instance?" murmured Gaara as he raised a hand to cup Sakura's chin and raise her eyes to his own.

The pink haired medic nin swallowed convulsively before biting her bottom lip and turning her head away to avoid pale green eyes that could see into her soul.

"No." whispered Sakura tightly, feeling her pulse race as a finger slid slowly down the side of her throat.

"If I do not see you before you leave for the sound village, I wish you a safe journey." Murmured Gaara as his sand whipped about him and his prey.

Kankuro shook his head wryly as the pair disappeared in the mini sandstorm.

"Where's the little rogue?" rasped a voice from the doorway, a few moments later.

"He's gone to take care of some overdue business with Sakura-san." Replied the puppet nin with a knowing smirk as he caught sight of the old man standing in the doorway.

The old cook let out a rusty chuckle and countered, "It's about time…those two were driving me crazy with their little games."

Kankuro smiled and responded with a sympathetic look in his eyes, "I'm not surprised, Oyaji….dealing with those two would drive anyone crazy. I take it that there were a couple of close calls while I was away, hn?"

"Pinkie cut herself in the kitchen not so long ago and I honestly thought the lad was going to rape her…but I don't think she would have complained…if you know what I mean." replied the crusty old cook as he shuffled into the room to retrieve the cart.

Kankuro gestured toward the other chair and murmured, "I need to head back in the morning to my mission and wrap up a few loose ends. Why don't you take a seat, oyaji and we can talk for a little while before you need to head back to the kitchens."

The man nodded and gingerly sat down on the leather chair, his joints protesting loudly.

"I take it one of those loose ends involves a rather curvy, loud mouthed and _troublesome _blonde kuniochi?" countered the elderly cook with a smile, waving a gnarled hand towards the plain band on the shinobi's ring finger.

"Yeah…I need to have a chat to Ino regarding the future of our relationship." Murmured Kankuro with a frown as he picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

"Oh? Are you contemplating something of a more permanent arrangement, young Kankuro?" asked the old man in curiosity as he reached for a cup and the coffee pot.

"Eventually. I would prefer a little more time to woo her but it's difficult when we live in different villages." Replied the puppet nin with a grimace, watching the cook fill his cup before carefully setting the pot back down on the cart.

"Hai…that can be difficult…but not impossible. I notice Temari-san and that shadow wielding nin from the leaf village manage." murmured the elderly cook as he took a cookie from one of the trays.

Kankuro raised an eyebrow and murmured, "Indeed? Strange – Temari hasn't been forthcoming in any information regarding her relationship with Shikamaru-san."

The old man let out another rusty chuckle and replied, "I'm not surprised to hear that, Kankuro-san. She has always been a secretive one but I have noticed that when she returns from the leaf village she has often returned with suspicious marks on her neck and a mysterious smile on her face."

The puppet nin laughed and gave his elderly companion a mischievious grin.

"It seems that the lazy bastard took my suggestion to heart after all." Murmured Kankuro with a smirk.

"Oh? What sage advice did you give him?" asked the elderly man out of idle curiosity before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I told him that he needed to find his stones and ask her out on a date instead of pumping me for information…then I told him that if he wanted peace and quiet, Temari needed to be laid on a regular basis…I guess it's working for him." Replied Kankuro casually as he heard the cook choke on his coffee.

"Good advice." Wheezed out the old man, his eyes watering from the sting of having to rapidly swallow the hot bitter brew.

"It sounds like things have progressed a lot more quicker than I had initially expected if Temari is coming back to Suna in such a state though." Murmured Kankuro with a sly look at the other man, still fighting to regain his composure.

The cook nodded and gruffed, "Indeed, but it seems to be a good way to approach your own courtship, eh young kankuro?"

Kankuro took a sip of his coffee as he contemplated the old man's words with a thoughtful frown on his features before looking back at the smirking retainer with the hopeful gleam in his eyes.

_Yes – oyaji's suggestion certainly had some merit. If Ino was given too much time to reflect upon their relationship, there was a good chance that she would allow those initial doubts come back into her head and that was the last thing he wanted to happen._

"Yes, oyaji…I tend to agree with you. A more aggressive courtship may indeed be the best approach to take." Murmured the puppet nin after a few moments, much to the delight of the elderly cook.

--

_Three Days later…_

Kankuro stepped into the full club and scanned the various platforms looking for his blonde virago.

He had returned a couple of hours ago and discovered from the inn keeper that Ino was staying with Chi Chi and Suki.

The puppet nin chuckled softly to himself as he recalled the look of horror on the elderly woman's face when he stepped inside and asked for his room.

The look swiftly changed to concern when he told his hostess that a local gang had tried to rob him on his way back to the village.

_Not that they were successful in their endeavors…poor bastards._

Kankuro felt the small smirk come to his lips as he recalled the robbers' collective looks of horror when they realized just _whom_ they were trying to rob.

He honestly thought they were going to wet themselves when he whipped out Karasu.

"Let's give a big Happy Times welcome to the lovely Ayame Sakamoto on the main stage."

Kankuro's dark emerald eyes shot over to the main stage as the curtain pulled back and the driving beat began.

He felt his jealousy spike as the male audience pressed against the stage as his blonde sashayed onto the stage, swinging her hips seductively to the beat.

His eyes widened to tiny little pinpoints as the image of Ino wearing the shortest mini skirt he had ever seen was burned forever into his brain.

Kankuro's nostrils flared slightly as his hungry eyes continued to track the young woman's movements.

The large man cursed roundly under his breath. He didn't know whether to thank the two friends or choke the living daylights out of them for torturing him like this….yet again.

The miniscule girl scout outfit left very little to the imagination but it was obvious by the reaction of the crowd that Ino looked anything but innocent.

She was carnality personified and the outfit showed off her curves perfectly.

Kankuro growled as Ino danced across the stage, mesmerizing the crowd.

The way she moved – should be considered illegal.

No other woman he had slept with left him feeling like he wanted to tear through the crowd and claim her publicly.  
The puppet nin felt something stir a little lower on his body as Ino stalked over to the brass pole and threw a look of pure challenge over her shoulder at the crowd.

"Teasing little minx." Growled Kankuro under his breath as she swung up on the pole, much to the delight of the audience.  
Kankuro licked his dry lips, his eyes never straying from the figure writhing seductively to the music.

_Damn it! What was it about her that got him all worked up?_  
Kankuro's eyes narrowed to a feral glare as Ino's hands reached up and tore off her khaki sleeveless top to reveal a tiny purple scalloped lace and sequined bra top that barely held in her bountiful assets.

"Suki…I don't care that you're gay. You're a dead man." Muttered Kankuro under his breath, as the crowd roared its approval.

He paid no heed to the nervous glances he was receiving from the people nearby but continued to watch Ino.

"Damn you both to hell." Hissed out Kankuro with a scowl as the woman he wanted to throw down and ravish within an inch of her life grabbed hold of the brass pole once more and swung around with her long legs split wide.

_Legs that should be wrapped around his torso._

He didn't notice the crowd part around him like the proverbial red sea when he let out a low feral growl from tightly compressed lips.

He only had eyes for the flirting temptress on the stage.

_Gone for nearly a week…only to be taunted by this…it was too much for his fragile control to take…_

"I've seen enough." Muttered the puppet nin under his breath as he turned abruptly on his heel and stalked his way over to the stage door.

It was time to reclaim what was his.

--

The sound of the crowd echoed in the background as Ino disappeared behind the stage and reached for the soft towel conveniently placed nearby.

"Oh my freaking god, Ayame….you totally worked it tonight!" squealed an excited voice from the wings.

The blonde looked over to see Suki hurrying over with a deep purple, floral dressing gown.

Ino smiled her gratitude as she slipped her arms through the sleeves and tightly belted the garment about her small waist.

"How are you feeling, Ayame…you look a little wiped tonight." Asked the effeminate man in concern as he took in the young woman's drawn features.

Ino gave the man a tiny smile and waved a hand absently in the air.

"I'm fine, Suki…nothing that a good night's sleep won't fix." Murmured the blonde as she looped an arm through the man's arm and walked through the small corridor that led to the dressing rooms.

The gay man frowned at that comment.

"Oh look, girls…it's the blonde bimbo and her gay pimp…" jeered a female voice.

Suki mentally groaned as he felt Ayame stiffen in outrage before he felt her arm slip out.

_Honestly…you would think these nasty jealous little bitches would learn the first time…but no – it appeared that was not the case at all._

The sex shop owner turned to watch the young woman stalk over to the red head standing there with a smug expression on her face.

_Stupid little cow._

Suki shook his head sadly as he saw Ayame forcibly yank the little witch by the front of her barely there costume, directly into the path of the blonde's waiting fist.

The sound of cracking bone and the red head's scream of pain ripped through the air before Ayame shoved the woman into the small group of women hovering nearby, watching the proceeding with undisguised joy.

"Go back to the rock you crawled out from under this evening, Nanami and leave me the fuck alone. I will be leaving soon enough." Hissed the blonde before she stalked off to her dressing room.

"What the hell is going on back here?" growled a deep female voice.

"Just the usual shit, Chi Chi darling…" replied Suki in disgust.

The drag queen took in the sight of the red head pathetically whimpering, clutching her nose as her friends held her close.

"Okay, you jealous little she-bitches – listen up. If you're not here to dance…go home and stop wasting my precious time with this rubbish." Snarled Chi chi to the stunned group of females milling about in the wings.

"It's a full house out there tonight, ladies. There is more than enough cash out there to be had if you go out there and shake your money makers. Kagami, you better get ready…it looks like they have almost finished clearing off the stage." Countered Suki in a soothing tone, glancing over at a petite brunette standing nervously nearby.

He let out the breath he'd been holding in as soon as he noticed a couple of the women nod their heads in agreement before they sauntered off to the dressing rooms.

"You have that look on your face, Suki…what's going on?" murmured Chi Chi quietly.

"I'm worried about her, Chi Chi. She seemed a little….off tonight." Replied the gay man with a small frown.

"She's probably missing tall, dark and scandalously handsome." Returned the drag queen with a low knowing laugh.

"I didn't know you thought of me in those terms, Chi Chi darling." Purred a dark sultry voice from the stage door.

"Kami…" gasped Chi Chi as her eyes widened in shock and she felt her nose begin to trickle.

The drag queen turned and gave the broad shouldered man a glare as she dabbed daintily at her nose.

"You! It's about bloody time you showed up! Did you see the show or did you just get here?" countered Chi Chi in an accusing tone.

"Oh, I saw the show….both of them." Returned Kankuro with a slow smile.

Suki and Chi Chi felt a tiny prickle of fear dance down their spines as the man walked over.

"Shit! Suki…I think we've done it now." Muttered Chi Chi under her breath as Suki nodded in agreement.

"Where is she?" drawled the puppet nin, watching in mild amusement as the two friends tried to hide their fear from him.

_So they should be frightened! They had a lot to answer for but first, he was going to get a certain blonde to help him take care of something before he dealt with those two!_

"Dressing room behind us. You can't miss it…it's the one with the group of women hovering nearby." Squeaked out Suki with a dull flush to his cheeks.

The pair watched in awe as the man glided past them like a panther on the prowl.

They swallowed audibly as Yukio paused in front of the non descript door, glance briefly over at the redhead clutching her nose before they heard him mutter in a disgusted tone, "You only wish you had half her fire. Women like you make a man want to switch teams."

Suki chortled at the man's comment.

_Kami, he was blunt but oh so funny._

Suki was drawn out of his thoughts when Yukio's voice drifted out once more.

"Oh, Chi Chi? Do these dressing rooms lock from the inside? I would hate to be …disturbed."

The drag queen's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she nodded dumbly in reply.

"Chi Chi? One last thing…you may want to tell your DJ to keep the music loud for the next hour or two." Responded the large man in a lazy tone before he disappeared inside the room.

"Oh….my. You don't think he's actually going to do what we think he's going to do?" asked Suki, a part of him scandalized and another part of him rather envious of Ayame's good fortune.

All eyes were on the dressing room door as they heard the audible click of the lock sliding home a few minutes before they heard the distinctive sounds of someone clearing off the top of the dressing room table as well as an outraged female yelling.

"I will go and tell Horouki to play the music louder." Exclaimed Suki in a strangled voice before he dashed off to the DJ's booth, leaving Chi Chi to stare at the dressing room door, her nose starting to bleed profusely as a low banging sound drifted out.

--


End file.
